


Three of A Perfect Pair

by VesselOfLucifer (FayTheGay)



Series: The Three [5]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bad Parenting, Breakup, Brothers, Canon-Typical Violence, Dog Owner Dean Winchester, Dog Owner Sam Winchester, F/M, Gabriel's kids, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Multi, Multiple Personalities, Original Character(s), Polyamory, Purgatory, Relationship Problems, Temporary Amnesia, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-02-07 08:09:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 103,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18616615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FayTheGay/pseuds/VesselOfLucifer
Summary: Sequel to Three In The Power of One!While at a wedding, a visitor comes forward and does something that no one thought possible. And that? That was just the beginning.





	1. The Three and The Wedding

**Author's Note:**

> So, welcome back! For the first time ever, I have finished a story before posting it! I hope you enjoy this sequel. I had a lot of fun working on it and hope you enjoy reading it. I won't list my stipulations for writing this particular fic until I finish posting it.
> 
> Expect chapters every Tuesday and Thursday. Kind of like my TIPO schedule but more frequent. Consistent because it's already done. :D
> 
> I am now also posting on Saturdays so yay!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a wedding!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings:  
> discussions of child abuse  
> Discussions of a homophobic serial killer.

**.-~*~-.  
**THE THREE  
***~-.-~***

Monogamy was different. Loki decided as he watched Phoenix and Angela kiss.

If someone told Loki five years ago this was where he would be now? He would’ve laughed at them. Probably full uncontrollable cackles of amusement. A wedding. Even just as a bystander? It was something he had discarded ever involving himself directly in years ago.

Unless he was ruining it for an unfaithful bride or groom or any other piece of trash. But that was different.

Phoenix had tugged Ashley into their embrace, their dresses tangling between them as the gathered group of friends and extended family cheered.

“Just to be clear,” Sam muttered from his place next to Taylor as one of her bridesman in the most unconventional weddings he’d ever seen. The bride and groom both in dresses. At least three other people cross-dressed. Sam’s voice was so low he probably wouldn’t have caught it if not for angelic senses. “You decide this is what you want, I am not wearing a dress.” He laughed then, allowing Phoenix to tug him forward into a deep and passionate collision of mouths that he had promised as a wedding present. Just to shock the crowd. And maybe for their own enjoyment. Sam had been honestly on board which Loki was grateful for.

Their relationship was strange.

“You’re beautiful,” He murmured in Phoenix’s ear as they pulled apart, Loki joining Sam’s side and watching as Phoenix joined his family and friends. Phoenix’s mother by blood was present, tense but behaving. Definitely not completely accepting, but not as hateful as he’d expected. It clearly made Phoenix some form of happy to have at least one member of his birth family present so he’d stayed out of it.

“Loki!” Daniela squeaked when she finally was released from flower girl duties, charging across the space and wrapping him in a tight hug.

“Hey, girl.” He laughed, shaking his head and kneeling down.

“You said you’d visit again.” She pouted and he shook his head, gaze following Phoenix’s mother as she rose stiffly to her feet, tugging Phoenix to the side in a barely nonchalant manner.

“I know, I know.” He smiled softly at her, casting a look of desperation at Sam who had been taken away by Dean to take Angela and Phoenix’s baby for him. Caya had been shockingly quiet during the wedding but Loki could see the telltale signs of an infant about to throw a fit.

“Loki,” The girl was getting frustrated and he realized she’d been talking. _Crap._

“Dani, I know you’re excited to see me but I’ve gotta run to the little girl’s room. Go find your sister and tell her where I’m going, okay?” A statement that would’ve been weird in most situations since he was sort of obligated to only appear around there in his male form. But that was their problem.

He reached behind his back returning with a chocolate bar that would inevitably ruin her white dress. The girl squeaked and ran off to find Taylor in the crowd while Gabriel took to the back of the church, ducking behind a table and hiding himself from sight with a bit of Grace before he followed the soul energy of Phoenix.

Him and his mother were in a small office off the side, littered with crosses and all sorts of tiring religious imagery. The table had a pile of papers along with a photo of the priest and her children.

Phoenix stood in the middle, his mom across from him with her arms across her chest.

“I know what she did.”

“So, what? You’re going to turn her in?” Phoenix was carefully stoic and his mom shook her head, looking exhausted.

“No, James- _Phoenix_. I know what he did too. I’m not here to pick a fight… I just want to understand.”

“He kidnapped a woman I cared for.” Phoenix answered carefully, “I knew it was him. I was going to resolve it peacefully but things went south. She saved my life.”

“She… killed him.”

“Do you know how many people he killed?”

“No.”

“Do you want to?”

_Twenty-two. All of which sat somewhere on the LGBT spectrum. Hatemongering piece of trash._

“There were twenty-two that my friend was able to uncover. Twenty-two bodies that would’ve been twenty-three if we hadn’t gone there that night.”

“I don’t know where we went wrong with him.” Phoenix seemed to hold his breath, like he was waiting for an insult. “You were both good kids and maybe you were quirkier than him but… you were good. Both of you.” There was so much sincerity to the words, so much regret, that Gabriel was sure she meant it. Even when parts of him didn’t want to believe a word coming out of her mouth. Not when he knew the things he knew.

“Dad beat us.” Gabriel froze at that, gauging the human he knew. Trying to read whether he was lying or not. Phoenix hadn’t ever said a word about his father beating him. Not once.

“He- what? When?” His mother sounded mortified.

“When we were little. When you worked and he didn’t. When… when I started to be less 'manly' he focused mostly on me. Encouraged it from… from Chad. I couldn’t…”

His mom didn’t hesitate for a moment when Phoenix broke into a fit of sobs, cradling her child to her chest and causing Gabriel’s heart to clench tightly in his chest.

“Baby- hey, c’mon. Don’t cry, you don’t wanna ruin your makeup. Come on. We can talk about this later, alright? C’mon.”

Just like that, Coyote knew everything was fine and she ducked back into the hall, removing her cover just in time to stop Taylor from yelling for him.

“It’s fine.” She promised, grabbing the other woman by her shoulder and maneuvering her down the hall.

“His mom-”

“I’m listening to them. Don’t panic, okay?” She peered at her with suspicious eyes. “Why didn’t he tell us his dad beat him?”

“Because you weren’t supposed to know.” She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Just like no one else is supposed to know you’re barely functioning as One.”

“That isn’t-”

“Don’t start, Coyote.” She shut her mouth, holding Taylor’s gaze. “When you were Loki you couldn’t keep your eyes above my shoulders. When you were Gabriel you kept a respectful distance. When you were Coyote, you didn’t acknowledge me or you kept your eyes on mine. When you are One you don’t look in any specific place. Now you keep switching and I don’t think for a second it was Three up there making out with my brother.”

“It’s our souls.” Coyote admitted reluctantly. “They don’t want to stay intertwined, they want to function independently which is frustrating when we don’t want to be Three. We work better as One.”

“ _I_ work better as One.” Taylor corrected her with a sigh. “Has Sam noticed?”

“He’s the only one that knows. I don’t- well, we don’t all Three share the same sexual inclinations.”

“In other words, you’re ace. Tell Loki I’m mocking him endlessly for it.” Coyote didn’t humor her with an answer. “What happened with him and his mom?”

“She apparently knows about Angela.”

“Which part?” Taylor asked carefully and Loki raised an eyebrow, snapping himself to his female body. “How?”

“Not a clue.” Loki admitted, reverting back to his male one for the time being. Too risky to wear in a public setting. “Only a handful of people knew the whole story and I wiped any loose ends when I got my Grace back.”

“She isn’t smart. Probably hired a PI just to be sure things were cut and dry, though. If they found that, only God knows what else. Are you sure things are okay in there?” Loki took a quick peek and nodded.

“She changed her attitude real quick when he dropped that bomb.”

“Which name did she use? His old one or new one?” Loki thought about that. The concept of killing your own name. How relatable it had once been for him.

“Both. She corrected herself.”

“And she’s not possessed?”

Loki laughed softly and shook his head. “Knowing the stories that I do, I’m shocked. But nope. Not possessed.”

_Hey, Gabe. Angela wants a wedding kiss too. I told her it’s fine if you’re up for it. Even if you’re not, get back here and bring the fanboy before Dean convinces me to leave. It’s his wedding and he’s missing it._

“Go check on him.” Loki relented, stepping forward to hug her tightly. “People are starting to wonder where he went.”

“They’ll start to talk if you’re gone too.” Taylor sighed heavily, holding him tight. “Try to come around more, alright? Dani is constantly talking about you.”

“Of course she is. I’m killing Sam if he tells me he wants kids. They’re a nightmare.”

“You love yours.”

 _For the most part._ “Love doesn’t mean I don’t want to kill them sometimes.” He countered, backing off. “You want a wedding kiss?”

“Not at all, Loki. Not at all.” Taylor kissed his cheek, pressing past him and making her way down the hall. He did miss her. At times like this, when their souls were warring at being one, he wished she would. Which was the worst part of it all. Gabriel’s influence telling him to go to hell. That they were in a _relationship_.

Because he was part of that too. He could feel it, it was real. Every ounce of it was certain. Cemented. He was in love with Sam Winchester. But he’d been in love with Sigyn and he’d failed her countless times.

_We can’t do that._

Sighing deeply, he shook his head. With a snap, they were back in the main area and he was pressing up into Sam’s space, grabbing him by the front of his suit and pulling him down for a kiss. “Sammy.” He hummed, releasing him and turning just enough to look at Dean who was openly glaring.

“Can you not be subtle?”

“Oh relax, bro. No one sees what I don’t want them to.”

Huffing an irritated breath, Dean turned his attention back to Crow who had snuck his way in towards the end.

“Kali? I thought you weren’t coming.” Loki released Sam, turning to offer a hand to her. The Goddess took it carefully, eyeing him far too closely for him to think for a second that she bought that he was functioning in the same way he had been the last time they saw her.

“I decided that if Aphrodite put the effort into creating this, I should make use of it. Your Hunter is an interesting one.”

Dean snickered behind him and Loki pursed his lips. Giving her a long look. “I don’t want to know.” He decided.

“I’ve only told a few stories, Loki. Nothing to worry about.” He definitely didn’t want to know what it was. Okay. Maybe a bit.

“Whatever she says, Sammy. It’s all lies.” He told his boyfriend, turning to give the Hunter his best innocent look.

“I know you far better than you seem to think.” Sam teased him, patting his back. “But whatever truly dirty secrets of yours she has, she’s been nice enough to keep to herself.”

“That’s not kindness. That’s future leverage.” Loki turned, pressing into Sam’s space to rest his head on his shoulder. “So, where’s the lovely bride?” He asked.

“With her brother.” Sam answered, “You feeling alright?”

“Been better but I’m dealing with it. Promise.” He swore quietly, nowhere near what was definable of being a single entity. But worth pretending it was better than it was. Sort of.

“And things back there?”

“It was fine. No one’s getting their ass warped out for now.” He promised, scanning the crowd until he spotted Angela. “Give me a bit.”

“How much longer are we going to have to stay?” Dean asked and he laughed, shaking his head.

“We haven’t even eaten yet. I’ve still got to do my speech.”

“You are not doing a speech.” Sam groaned, Gabriel chuckling as he made his way across the room to catch Angela in a hug.

“Jesus, Gabe.” She laughed, hugging him back. “Was wondering where you went off to.”

“Dealing with some stuff and things. Don’t worry. Taylor took over for me.”

“That does not put me at any form of ease.” She murmured in his ear.

“You don’t wanna kiss me so what’s the emergency?” He asked quietly, pulling away just a bit to kiss her on the cheek.

“Him.” Gabriel followed her gaze across the room where a man with frizzy hair was leaning against a pillar. He had bronze skin and familiar eyes that made Coyote want to stab him.

 _Damn it._ She huffed in frustration, looking over her shoulder towards Crow who met her gaze without either of them saying a word. He excused himself from his conversation with Dean and together they crossed the chapel, following the man into the back.

“Coyote. Or is it Gabriel?” Xolotl hummed, turning once they were out of sight. “I can never tell these days.”

“What are you doing here?” Crow asked in that threateningly calm way only he could accomplish, Coyotl manifesting beside him a moment later with a low growl.

“What? Am I forbidden to visit weddings? Is this a rule that I missed when you stepped up to end a war you ultimately were responsible for?”

“Not this wedding. Not today, Xolotl.” She answered, bristling. “These people are protected.”

“I’m not here to kill them.” Xolotl rolled his eyes. “I’m here for Huītzilōpōchtli’s wife.”

“That never happened.” Coyotl growled, air crackling with energy.

“Right. Let me correct myself, _hermano_. I’m here for Huītzilōpōchtli’s _novia_. Does that make things simpler?”

“The answer is _no_. What could he possibly want with me to begin with? It has been _decades_.” Coyote only barely remembered it was even a thing.

“It isn’t my business. What is my business is that he sent me to get you, _jai_.”

“You aren’t helping your case and the answer remains no. The engagement is off. I never wanted to marry him in the first place.”

“Be that as it may, there are steps that must be taken and whether you like it or not, they will be.”

“Crow.” Fear spiked down her spine as something began to claw into her. Sharp as a dagger, something ripped into her very core and sent her to her knees. Xolotl held a hand out, fingers curling inward.

That was the last thing she saw before darkness engulfed her.

Loki fell on his back, rubbing his eyes and looking to the right to stare at Gabriel. Separate. Same physical bodies in two _separate_ spots.

 _Not again._ They were alone. Coyote was _gone._

“Loki-” He didn’t say a word, crawling across the floor to wrap his arms around Gabriel’s shoulders. His heart hammered violently as they reached out together. Trying to find Coyote. Anywhere. Somewhere. She was alive but she was _gone_.

“Gabe?” Loki didn’t even look up when Sam came in, burying his face in Gabriel’s shoulder. “What the hell? How- why-”

“She’s gone.” Gabriel said by way of explanation. “Sam, tell Phoenix that we’re sorry. We’ll be at home.” Gabriel muttered, wrapping his arms around Loki.

Then they were flying.


	2. Coyote and Loki and The City of Gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coyote and Loki visit The City of Gold.

**.-~*~-.**  
COYOTE  
***~-.-~***

Everything was hot which was probably the only blessing she could come up with when she opened her eyes. The sky was an off-red, glowing bright and unfriendly against her vision. The ground beneath her was sand. Soft bits rolling through her fingers as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

Alone.

“Loki.” The words came out all wrong, voice raw and dry. Licking her lips, she stared out across the endless desert before her. “Gabriel.” She murmured. Remember. She could remember them. Everything. What had- “ _Xolotl_.” Instead of him, she was met with the appearance of Coyotl. He was angry, a hateful growl rumbling in his chest as he stared behind her. “Coyotl.”

It took him a minute to look at her and when he did everything shifted. Went from angry to apologetic, kneeling down to touch her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Coyote. I can’t do anything. I tried but I have no say.”

A dying race. Weaker since Cagn’s disappearance. “No one listens to Tricksters anymore.” She groaned, wrapping her arms around her sides.

 _Loki. Gabriel. Please talk to me._ Her gaze met Coyotl’s and she opened her mouth, shutting it a moment later. Talk. They didn’t talk. They didn’t _need_ to talk.

“What do I have to do?”

“Talk to him.” Coyotl took her hand, helping her to her feet. “This is about me. I was… bored.”

“What did you do?” There was a moment before she surrendered, turning to look behind her. The city was large. Glimmering beneath the sunless light of the sky. The brightest light was at the back, in the tallest building. Bricks glowing and gleaming with the light of the sun god within it.

“Painted his sky black.” Humming, Coyotl began to walk forward. The sand crunched beneath his feet and Coyote trailed after him. “It was funny.”

“I wish you’d invited me.”

“You were on a hunt with your boyfriend. You asked us not to interfere with that, so I didn’t.”

“Where’s Crow?”

“With Loki and Gabriel. They’re not taking this well.” Which she wasn’t at all surprised about. It was taking all of her willpower not to break down. This wasn’t right. They’d been apart once before under entirely different circumstances and at least then she hadn’t _known_. When that happened, ignorance had been bliss. _Loki_.

“I want to talk to them. Coyotl, _please_ tell me you have a way for me to talk to them. Please.”

“Not yet. I’m working on it, though. I am. Lōpō’s punishing me by punishing you.”

“How did Xolotl do this to us? I don’t understand. We’re… Cagn should be the only one capable of tearing us apart. He’s not a Trickster.”

“You know the answer.” And she did. But she wanted to talk. Not be left to her thoughts. Pretending she didn’t already know the answers to what she was asking because it was _Coyotl_ and she always knew. They didn’t _need_ words but she wanted them so bad it hurt.

Because she needed to stop thinking.

 _Sam_.

“I’m not good at this, Coyote. I should’ve had Crow come here.”

“No.” She caught his arm, fingers curling around his bicep. “We aren’t supposed to be… this. It’s far too much for me to ask.”

“You can ask the world of me, Coyote. Of us. You just have to _ask_. I know we used to just know, but we aren’t the same. None of us. Crow is considering a relationship, you have a _Hunter_. We aren’t the same. We need to change to adapt to that.”

“Wait- since when is Crow interested in a relationship?” She scrunched her eyebrows, frowning. How had she missed that?

“Surely you would have noticed.” Coyotl raised an eyebrow at her and her jaw dropped.

“Castiel. Or Dean? They’re my brothers.”

“Sam is Dean’s brother yet you’re in a relationship with him.” Coyotl countered and she laughed softly, shaking her head. Considering the premise. “Guess which one it is.”

It took her a moment longer than it should have before she blinked, a smile appearing on her face. “Castiel.”

“Why would it be Castiel?” They were walking against, brushing against each other every couple steps. The golden city was getting closer now, the gate guards faintly visible in her line of sight.

“Dean’s too young and childish. If I were going to have to choose between them, that’s the distinction I’d make.”

“You would choose Castiel purely because of Dean’s libido. But you are right. Castiel is his intended. You think he has a chance?”

Coyote pursed her lips, considering the possibility. From what she understood about Castiel, he wasn’t often attracted to anyone. Romantically or physically. But there were incidents. Something about a demon at one point. “Maybe. Tell him I wish him luck. Castiel is a good one.”

“You’re only saying that because he’s your brother.”

“Does that make it any less true?” She smiled then, stopping outside the gate when one of the guards held out a staff.

“Are we really going to play this game? I was summoned. Well, actually I was _kidnapped_. Against my will.”

“ _He_ is not welcome here.” They said in unison, glaring at Coyotl. “Strict orders.”

“I’ll get in one way or another, boys so how about we skip the formalities. Let me in with her, or I stab you both and go in anyways.”

“ _Usted no es bienvenido_.”

“ _Digas lo que digas_.” Silence fell between them, sharp as the angel blade that Coyote manifested in the palm of her hand.

“Let us through.” She told them warningly, holding the blade up. “I’m not here willingly so if I have to kill a couple of his asshole followers? I’ll feel a lot better. Let us _through_.”

If looks could kill, they’d both be dead. Still, with bitter scowls, the right guard called out, “Open the gate! The Coyotes are among us!” The golden metal shifted, the clattering of the soft metal resounding as the gate began to rise. Up, up, up.

She took Coyotl’s hand, biting her cheek as she stepped across the threshold. The citizens were quiet as they watched them pass through, Xolotl found them in the third district and Coyote didn’t hesitate slamming her fist into his jaw, sending him falling flat on his back to smirk up at her. Completely unphased. If he wasn’t Coyotl’s twin, she wouldn’t have hesitated a moment in slamming the blade into his chest.

“So, are you a thing now? That’s sweet. Though, I’m sure that your Hunter wouldn’t approve.”

“Coyote?” She nodded at Coyotl’s unspoken question, releasing him and watching as he attacked his brother, the both of them disappearing with the sound of snarls echoing behind them.

Which left her alone for all of six seconds before another familiar presence appeared behind her. “Crow.” She breathed, looking over her shoulder. He didn’t say anything as he rested a hand on her shoulder, leading her carefully through the city.

People stared. Gazes cemented firmly on her as her and Crow stepped through. Two outsiders in The City of Gold. “I expected teasing.”

“Once I’m myself again, it will be relentless I’m sure.”

“I don’t look forward to it.” His smile was in his voice, even with the tension radiating off of his entire being. Crow was calm and that calm had burned down entire villages in the past.

“I do. Is it the blue eyes? Or his wings? Can you see his wings?”

“No, it’s not his eyes or his wings, Coyote. I thought you were waiting.” They had stopped a few feet from the entrance to the large buildings and she was turning around to face him.

“Yes, but I don’t want to give all the fun to Loki. Can you?”

“No, it’s not his wings. I can’t see them and I won’t demand to.”

“But you want to. You should ask. It’s not a crime to ask.”

“Angels are out of my league.”

“You’ve dealt with me for hundreds of years.” She countered, smiling widely. “He won’t get subtlety. You will have to be blunt.”

“I will remember that.” And she knew he would. Even with the passive way he was regarding the information, she knew he was absorbing it for the future. Calculating it into his next plan. If he did try to court Castiel, it would be interesting in the very least.

“I suppose it is time for me to handle my… fiancée.” The word felt like poison. Bitter and unwanted. A lie.

“I am here with you.” Crow swore to her and she nodded, breathing a bit easier when a bloodied but smug looking Coyotl came into existence next to her, shaking water out of his hair.

“Idiot.” She murmured fondly, looking over just in time to see him flash bloody teeth at her.

“I won.”

“For now.” She rolled her eyes, pushing open the front doors to The Sun God’s tower.

 **.-~*~-.**  
LOKI  
***~-.-~***

“What are you doing?” Gabriel followed Loki closely as he rifled through the material room in the basement of the house they had bought and redone to work as a partial Hunter outpost and partial home for their Hunter and brother.

“I’m going to her.”

“You can’t-”

“I’m going to and you’re going to stay here and handle our boyfriend. I don’t have the time for it.” He could feel Gabriel glaring a hole in the back of his skull and he did sort of regret the phrasing but not enough to stop him from pulling the jar of dog’s blood from the back of the cabinet. “Gabriel, you are so much more rounded as a singular individual than we are. You are _equipped_ to handle it. We aren’t and if you think for a _second_ that I’m leaving her to deal with our could-be-husband alone then you aren’t functioning nearly on the same wavelength as me. Which is sort of funny considering I know for a _fact_ you want to go help too.”

“It isn’t about wanting to go after her or not. It’s the risk factor of forcing my way into a God’s domain.”

“Risk’s got nothing to do with it, you dumbass.” He couldn’t help his own flinch as he insulted himself. Ugh. It had been so much easier the first time. “What I mean is that it’s _not_ a risk. They kill us, they kill her and they don’t _want_ that. Crow said this is petty revenge against some stupid prank that Coyotl pulled and Aztecs rarely kill Gods. They prefer torturing humans. So, it’s fine. _She’s_ going to be fine. But she’ll be less fine if she has to deal with it without at least one of us.”

Gabriel was silent and Loki could all but hear him piecing things together. Taking everything that he was saying and carefully connecting it so it worked in his own portion of their brain.

“Be careful.” Gabriel told him as he began painting the transport sigil onto the ground. “That won’t work on you.” Gabriel stared at the markings as they came into view.

“They will after I’m human.”

“Why would you-”

“Because I’m just crazy enough to go through with it. It’s not like our souls want anything to do with us anyways. I’ll pop it out and be good to go.”

“You just said that Aztecs kill humans.”

“Funny how that works, huh?” He asked, grinning at Gabriel before standing. “One thing. Need you to rip it out. Stash it in a bottle until I’m back. I can take it out myself but if you do it there won’t be as much damage.”

“This is stupid, Loki. Reckless and stupid.”

“Are you telling me no?” Gabriel stared at him long and hard before he plunged his hand into his chest. Loki groaned, grabbing the other man’s shoulders and breathing rapidly. Fighting back the cry of pain that threatened to tear out of his throat. He could handle this. He _could_. He was strong enough.

Then it was over and he collapsed against Gabriel, breathing deeply. “How are you?”

“I’m good.” He murmured, grimacing at the physical difference he could already feel in his entire body. It had been _years_ and he was already feeling regrets at the decision to choose this. Was it really worth it?

“No backing out now.” Gabriel told him, setting him down in the center of the circle before crossing the room to carefully funnel the swirling vortex of color that was his soul into a jar. Seeing it in the material plane was so much more bizarre than the weird mental landscape that Cagn had kept them in.

“Is that a promise?” He asked with a bit of bitterness, “You hated it too.”

“I didn’t make you have me rip your soul out. Don’t start blaming me. And don’t start forgetting. Only Dad knows what being human will do to your brain.”

“A lot less than what it would do to yours.” Loki grinned at him, rolling his shoulders before picking the sharp knife up off the ground. “Tell Sam that everything’s going to back to normal before we know it.”

“You know that’s not true.” It hadn’t been normal in months. Ever since One became Three again.

“So will he, but tell him anyways.” With a careful motion, he cut into the meat of his palm until blood began to trickle out of the wound in the bowl in front of him. _Drip. Drip. Drip._ There was a glimmer of golden light then he was somewhere else.

Three spears pointed at him.

“Is that necessary?” He looked at the men in front of him then behind him where Coyote was standing. For a solid thirty seconds she was frozen before she threw herself into his waiting arms.

“You _dumbass_.”

“What? Humanity didn’t kill me last time.” He responded.

 _“Aztecs_.” She growled in his ear, shoving him back a bit when she let him go.

“They don’t want you dead. They won’t kill me.” His gaze flicked to where Coyotl was standing, a smirk on his face. Crow nodded subtly, approval clear on his face. A bit of warmth flooded his chest at the approval from Crow, something he was genuinely shocked about.

“There are other reverse summonings.”

“Not as quick as the human one. I’m not leaving you to deal with this dick on your own.”

“I can.”

“Not questioning your manhood.” He put an arm over her shoulder before finally taking in the interior. It looked like he’d taken inspiration from Midas himself. Gold. _Everything_ was gold and while Loki knew it wasn’t _technically_ a castle. It was like one. They were following a long hallway littered with decorations and valuables that likely came from years of worshippers. Those parts of his brain that were influenced by Gabriel and Coyote were genuinely bothered by it and he could feel her seething at his side, irritation bleeding into the air from the Trickster God.

He really wondered where Cagn was. Still missing. For months. Cagn was never known for simply vanishing.

There was a large doubledoor at the end of the hallway and he groaned, rolling his eyes as two spears were held out to block his path.

“Only her.”

“I went through this outside-”

“Coyo, don’t.” Coyote spoke up. “They’ll stay but _he’s_ coming. That’s non-negotiable.”

“Huītzilōpōchtli has made it clear that the only one allowed to enter is _novia_.”

“We are his _novia_. Me and Coyote are the same person and just because Xolotl ripped the piece that’s her out of our damned chest, it changes _nothing_.”

Coyote grabbed the hilt to the spear, ripping it out of his hand and Loki couldn’t stop himself from grinning when the unprepared guard was yanked forward. “I don’t have the interest or patience for this so _let me in_.” The guards had the brains to recoil, the one she’d pulled over releasing the spear and stumbling back.

“Go on through.” The left one ground out, shoving the left door open.

“We will be here, Coyote.”

Loki leaned into her side as they stepped into the doorway to face Huītzilōpōchtli.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will actually be updating on Tuesdays and Thursdays so yay!


	3. Gabriel and The Search For An Answer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile at the house Gabriel and a few others try to figure out what Huītzilōpōchtli is doing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings:
> 
> discussions of a potential…. Dub to non-con situation that doesn’t happen.
> 
> Ignorance from Dean in regards to what being ace is. Sorry _hides_.

**.-~*~-.  
** GABRIEL  
 ***~-.-~***

Gabriel set out the plate of burgers and salad on the six person dining table, stomach twisting uncomfortably as he tried not to think about what was happening in _El Dorado_. Everything about the situation was unpleasant and he _hated_ it.

The only reason he hadn’t joined Loki in his trip was because of the risk in leaving two of them human. “Brother.”

“Castiel,” He looked up from the table. The young angel watching him with wary eyes. “Where are they?”

“Dean insisted that he drives. Kali wants you to give her access to the house.”

“Fine.” He snapped his fingers, adding an exception to the expansive house warding. “They aren’t driving, though. Not until we have a better understanding of _what_ the Aztecs are planning. Where are they?”

“Springfield, Indiana.” Gabriel shut his eyes, spending a few moments tracking the specifics before he found who he was looking for. He latched onto Coyote’s Trickster powers –frustrated he still couldn’t use their psychic link- and with a snap of his fingers, the car was in the street outside the house.

“It’s just them, right?”

“Yes. Where did Loki go?”

“He joined Coyote to deal with Huītzilōpōchtli.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t follow him.”

Gabriel grimaced, looking at the table. “Unfortunately, the easiest way to get there requires being human. I’m not particularly interested in experiencing it again.”

“Was it truly so bad the last time?” Gabriel didn’t answer, looking towards the front door as an irritated Dean and exasperated Sam stepped through.

“He’s not gonna hurt your car, Dean.”

“Did you not feel it hit the curb? Damn it, Gabe!” They rounded through the kitchen into the dining area as Dean ranted, Sam rolling his eyes in exasperation, “If you’re gonna grab my car at least be nice enough to keep- what the hell happened?” He demanded after examining Gabriel for all of ten seconds.

“You didn’t tell him?” Gabriel shot a look at Sam who at least managed to look sheepish.

“I didn’t know how to bring it up. It’s not like _you_ stuck around to explain to me what happened.”

Groaning, he rubbed his eyes and gestured sharply at the table. “I made food. Sit and eat and I’ll explain what I understand.” The Hunters reluctantly took to the table, Gabriel beginning to pace while Sam and Dean brought their respective food to their plates.

“Cas, eat.”

“I don’t need-“

“ _Eat_.” Gabriel huffed, finally dropping into the chair next to Sam and grabbing one of the burgers for himself.

“So, what happened?” Dean asked around a mouthful of food.

“Coyote’s history. My history. There was an incident about a hundred years back. Coyotl and his idiot of a brother did something _really_ stupid and it pissed Huītzilōpōchtli off.”

“Repeat that?” Dean asked and Gabriel couldn’t help rolling his eyes.

“We call him Lōpō in English. He’s an Aztec sun god among other things.”

“Aztec? I thought you weren’t involved with human sacrifice.” There wasn’t judgement in Sam’s voice. Just surprise.

“We weren’t. Well- not generally. Sometimes we’d get caught up in things. Pagans are complex. Coyote stayed out of the northern parts of the eastern hemisphere, Loki stayed out of the west until the late part of the 20th century. But Coyotl _is_ Aztec. I didn’t think you’d forget that.”

“No- that’s not what I meant.” Sam grimaced, looking down at his salad when Gabriel shot him a look. “You just always discarded your connections.”

“That’s because there’s not a lot of them. This- well, long story short. She- _we’re_ engaged to Lōpō.”

“You _what_?” Gabriel was staring at his plate, trying to ignore the stunned gazes coming from his brothers and boyfriend.

“It was either that or Xolotl died. Back then, Coyotl and his brother - _Xolotl_ \- Him, Coyotl, and Quetzalcoatl are brothers. Because I know that lore isn’t very well documented. Anyways, they actually liked each other back then and I agreed to the engagement. Not the marriage.”

“You’re engaged to an Aztec god of sacrifice and didn’t think that _might_ be information we’d want?” Dean’s voice was significantly more bitter than it had been in a long while.

“I’d forgotten.” Gabriel looked up, ignoring the glare Dean was casting at him to meet Sam’s gaze. “I told you I’d give you all of the information of my past that you asked and I have. I’ve divulged a whole lot more to you than I ever have with anyone else. But there’s _thousands_ of years as a Pagan that I’m going to miss.”

“I’m not judging you for it.” Sam cast an irritated scowl in his brother’s direction. “I’m just surprised. Maybe… a bit bothered.”

“Dude, your boyfriend’s engaged to someone else and he didn’t bother telling you. How is that in _any_ way okay?”

Sam scowled, shooting a look back at Dean. “ _You_ let your blood brother date your birth brother while he’s engaged and didn’t bother saying anything about it.”

“That’s not- that’s different. I didn’t know!”

“Well, if you don’t hold it against him, I won’t hold it against you.”

Dean shot a dirty look in his direction, Gabriel unable to hide the smile on his face. “We win.”

“Cas?” Dean shot the fourth party at the table his best _please be on my side_ look.

“I have to agree with them, Dean. There is far too much history for Gabriel to have shared every detail. Though, I do have to ask. Why did you never annul it?”

“Anansi.” The table went quiet with the name, Gabriel’s stomach twisting uncomfortably. “I never had the time and even if I did, it was never fully binding because we called it off. Xolotl and Coyotl got into a big argument and he told his brother to rot in She’ol. With all of the things that followed we didn’t think too much on it.”

“So, I’m missing something here. Why does this matter? Why did we have to bail on the wedding and what’s wrong with _you_?” Dean was staring at him hard again. Looking through him in a way that bothered him to no end. Only him and Cas could see into him like that. Into _Gabriel_ like that.

Well, Michael and Lucifer could. But they were in Hell.

“I’ve been… splitting for a few months now.”

“I know that.” Dean rolled his eyes like Gabriel was an idiot for mentioning it.

“You knew?”

“Man, we spent how much time in Purgatory together? ‘course I knew. What’s with the Gabriel face though?”

“Xolotl ripped us in Three.”

“What? How?”

Gabriel sighed deeply. “I’m not too sure. Loki swore that it’s because Tricksters are weaker since Cagn went missing. I think it’s much simpler. We weren’t _functioning_ as One. Our souls have been divided for a while. Xolotl is a death deity and I’m guessing he genuinely just _grabbed_ her part of our soul and carried her off.”

“Aren’t Tricksters supposed to be more powerful than the others, though?”

“They are. Cagn is the source of every Trickster’s power. With them missing, though… things have been off.”

“And that doesn’t worry you?”

“More than you’d think. But I’m more concerned about Coyote.”

“We just left a wedding, Gabe. We don’t need another one immediately.”

“It’s not funny. Lōpō’s going to insist on consummating and he’s not going to be interested in having sex with Loki, no matter our shared identity.”

“Wait- Coyote’s ace, though.”

“She’s what?”

“Shut up, Dean. If it happens, what happens to her?”

“Exactly what consummation implies. Assuming Loki doesn’t kill Lōpō first because he doesn’t think things through.

“I don’t see the downsides to killing him.” Dean interjected, not pressing about the ace comment for the moment. Thankfully. Probably something he would end up regretting asking at a later time.

“Treaties, right?” Sam asked and Gabriel nodded.

“Right now, Heaven has a very fragile alliance with the Pagans and one of the big rules is that we can’t just storm in and murder Gods. _Especially_ in their domains.”

“So, either he’s trying to start a war or he’s really pissed at Coyotl.” Sam summarized.

“Gabe- I’m probably gonna kick myself in the ass for asking but if it’s just one time sex to stop a war-“

“Yes. You are going to regret that. Ace is asexual. The Coyote part of me has absolutely no sex drive so sure. She _could_ go through with marrying the piece of crap but sex is… not going to happen if I have any input.” Dean made a face, looking away.

“That’s not cool. I didn’t know that.”

“I will break the treaty before that line is crossed. So will Loki. Coyote would probably push through for the sake of the treaties but… it won’t happen.” They would never let that happen to her.

“You could also ask for help. Unless, of course, it is still beneath you.” Gabriel didn’t bother looking up at Kali, the Goddess delicately seating herself next to Sam like she spent all her time there. Like they were best friends.

“Last time we spoke you told me the best thing I could do for you is die. Why should I trust for a moment that you won’t get the three of us killed?”

“Simple. If you die? I wish to be your executioner. If you start a war with Aztecs over something as petty as a Trickster painting a sky black then I will truly be disappointed.”

“Painting a sky black?” Dean asked, frowning. Clearly not grasping the concept of how the other worlds could work. Weird for someone that spent a year of Earth time in Purgatory.

“Huehuecoyotl’s prank on Huītzilōpōchtli, of course. Gabriel was meant to be involved but he was on a date with your brother when it happened.”

“How do you know that?” Gabriel looked at her. Coyotl had mentioned it to him and Loki but he wasn’t sure how _Kali_ knew.

Kali smiled at him, turning in her seat and meeting his gaze. “Three reasons. The first is that now, if you aren’t involved with one of their tricks it means you’re otherwise occupied with the tall one. The second is that I keep an eye on you, believe it or not. The third is that your dear friend Huītzilōpōchtli sent Xolotl to me, telling me to come take my ex-husband. Like he is at _all_ my responsibility.”

“You’re here now, though.” Sam pointed out and she turned her attention to him.

“Gabriel is and never has been my husband. I was never married to Gabriel in the same way that Loki was never married to Kali.”

He saw through it. A silent statement of ‘I still care enough not to want to leave him there’.

“So, can you not just go and take them?”

“I could but I won’t. There is far too much risk that comes with that.”

“Then why are you _here_?” Dean scowled, clearly displeased with the presence of Kali at the table. It took Gabriel more time than it should have for him to remember why she would evoke such a negative reaction from the Hunter.

 _Elysian Fields_.

“Are you still pissed at her?” Sam asked before Gabriel could input.

“No.” Dean lied horribly.

“That’s almost adorable.” Kali mused. “I’m sorry I tried to use you and your brother as bargaining chips during their Apocalypse. Does that make your wounded Hunter pride feel better?”

“I’m _not_ pissed at her.”

“Gabriel, can we discuss this elsewhere?”

“No. Dean, you and Sam have both forgiven me for the countless things I did to you both. Kali was in just as much of an impossible position as I was and bygones need to be bygones. We have _all_ made mistakes. Every one of us at this table.”

“He’s right.” Sam told Dean. “It’s over and done with.”

“Thank you, Samuel.” Gabriel stared at Kali for a moment before shaking his head. It wasn’t abnormal for her to be kind to humans. It was rare though.

“It’s Sam.” He corrected her with an annoyed sigh. Something told him that this was a discussion they’d had at the wedding as well if the slight smirk on her face was any indication.

Castiel had been abnormally quiet. His gaze locked on the table in front of him rather than the conversation taking place at the table.

_‘Castiel?’_

_‘Hannah says that Payīnal was there. Huītzilōpōchtli sent him to inform Heaven of the situation. I’ve explained the specifics to her. She’s not going to tell others but she begs that you and the other two don’t do anything rash. She won’t back you as an ally of Heaven if you do.’_

“Kali, tell me you have an idea of how to deal with this situation.”

“This isn’t about a wedding. This is about revenge on Coyotl.”

“Really rash response to painting a sky black.” Dean muttered.

“He’s a sun god.” Kali reminded the Hunter, annoyed. “Gabriel, have you considered letting it happen?”

“Coyote would endure for us. That’s not the problem with the situation. The problem comes with _Coyote_. I know you knew me as her.”

“Do you truly think that he will go that far, though. This is meant to attack Coyotl, not her.”

“It depends just how angry Coyotl made him.” Gabriel turned his focus on Castiel. “Can you reach out to Crow for me?”

“Why me?” Castiel asked, shutting his eyes anyways.

“I’m not sure.” He admitted, getting to his feet and gathering the somehow empty plates from the table. Who had been eating? A glance at the crumbs in front of Castiel made him realize that it had been the younger _angel_ that ate almost all of the burgers.

“I can-“ Dean was cut off, his phone ringing loudly. “Damn it. It’s Phoenix.”

“Tell him everything’s fine and that they _aren’t_ getting involved.” Gabriel carried the plates to the kitchen, shoving them into the sink and turning the water on.

“Are you okay?” Sam asked, appearing in the doorway.

“Loki told me to tell you everything’s fine.”

“Which means you don’t want to lie. Look, Gabe. We’ll get them back. It’ll work out.”

“I’m concerned that Lōpō is the least of our concerns. Even if we’re Tricksters, the Three of us shouldn’t be weak to the gods. I’m still an Archangel, as they’re making _abundantly_ clear. An Aztec god absolutely shouldn’t be able to rip parts of my soul out of me, Trickster aspects or not.”

“It’s because of Cagn.” Crow had appeared in the room a moment before, several black feathers flying through the air with his appearance.

“The hell?”

“Are you okay?” Gabriel ignored Sam’s confused question, meeting Crow’s gaze. His lip was bloodied, eye blackened.

“I’m fine. Had to drag Coyo of Xolotl again. I _swear_ if they weren’t brothers, I would have let Coyo kill him.”

“What were they fighting about this time?” Crow gave him a look that took him all of two seconds to decipher. “Why? _Why_ would he do that?”

“Because Coyo slept with his wife.”

Sam made an irritated sound from the doorway but otherwise didn’t comment on it.

“I might kill Coyo.” Gabriel rolled his shoulders, flaring his wings. “Stupid drama with his brother got us into this in the first place!”

“Gabriel.”

“I know, Crow. I _know_.” Gabriel touched his shoulder, frowning when his Grace refused to cooperate and heal the God. That was new. He tried to snap instead, reaching down to his Grace. It was definitely there. Without a doubt it was _there_. Was it being stubborn because of the lack of Trickster magic? Or was it his soul being a nuisance again? “Castiel.”

His brother appeared in a flutter of wings, keeping a carefully safe distance from them both. “Yes, Gabriel?”

“Heal him.”

“He doesn’t have to-“

Castiel, of course, did as told and stepped up to Crow, resting a hand on his shoulder and effectively healing the wounds. Crow was oddly stiff beneath the contact, glaring at him for reasons he couldn’t possibly fathom. “Gabriel, what is this about?” Castiel asked him, releasing Crow’s arm but definitely not backing out of his space.

“Right.” Gabriel flicked his gaze back to Crow who was definitely looking flustered. That was- _oh_.

In that moment, it clicked with him. He _had_ known. Which meant to some extent, he was still connected to the other two. Then and there, he could clearly remember having a conversation with Coyotl and learning that Crow was interested in pursuing Castiel.

_This is good._

“Crow, I think it’s time for Coyote to take the body she had as a human back. Do you think you can do that?”

Crow considered him for a moment, pressing his lips into a line. “Do you think that would work?”

“Of the many things that Lōpō is, attracted to men is not one of them. If I’m correct, the only ones capable of changing her sex should be Tricksters and Coyotl is theirs. Even if that’s not true, the one good thing Coyote did was _not_ make every God on the planet hate her.”

“I’ll have Coyo do it. If it doesn’t work, Gabriel. You need another plan.”

“How much of a chance do you think he will push it the whole way?”

“I don’t know. Admittedly, Loki’s very presence is probably not helping. Lōpō is angry. He doesn’t rejoice in torture -human death maybe- but in the end of things Coyote never directly impacted him. It depends on just how angry he actually is about the prank.”

“I don’t think he’s pissed about some prank.” Dean spoke from the doorway, surprising everyone in the room. When had he got there? Sam was gone Gabriel noted and something told him he had likely joined Kali wherever she was in the house.

“Really?”

“If you were him, would you really upset with someone over something _they_ did. Would you take it to them directly, or harass someone else entirely?”

“So, what? He’s actually really into the idea of marrying Coyote all the sudden? Coyote means-“

“If this was about the marriage, he wouldn’t have split you up. Because _he didn’t know_. You being messed up is a secret. No one knew about it. The three of you is just gas on a fire.”

“You believe he is attempting to create conflict. Why?” Castiel shared an uneasy look with Crow who was giving Dean a genuinely impressed 'maybe you aren’t a complete idiot' look.

“Has anything changed recently, Cas?” Gabriel asked thoughtfully. Aztecs didn’t have a lot of direct ties with Heaven or Hell but it was worth asking.

“Just more of the power struggle. Nothing has changed.”

“Who is it that is winning this struggle?” Crow asked, tilting his head enough to carefully regard the young angel that didn’t seem pleased to be the center of attention.

“The major contenders are the group that wishes to return an Archangel to the throne and the ones that wish to continue their democracy.”

“Why would an Aztec help angels?” Crow asked and Gabriel considered the question for a long moment. Until it clicked.

“I think I understand.” Gabriel stretched his wings out and flapped them once, touching down in the throne room. Coyote was pacing restlessly in front of the throne while Loki stood there, singing some pop song at the top of his lungs.

“I’m ashamed to call you part of myself.” Loki didn’t immediately stop, Lōpō giving him a stunned look from where he was seated on the throne.

“This is bold.” The man lounging on the throne told him.

“No. Bold is impersonating a God. How long has Lōpō been dead- no, let me guess. It has been four years since I escaped Purgatory. So probably a while longer than that. You were definitely not there when I was exploring. It could’ve also been after but I feel like if one of you was going to kill the other it would have done it early.”

“Gabriel- _oh_.” Loki’s eyes flashed with understanding as he backed up, Coyote transporting herself a few feet back without ever letting her gaze leave the being before them.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, yes you do. Because you’re the only other being in existence that can comprehend what we did to ourselves. So which part are you? Or are you both? I really hope you’re broken because dealing with the fallout of you being One would not be pleasant for anyone.”

“Lōpō” gave him a hard and defeated look before rising to his feet. “Get out.”

“ _Sí señor_.” The guards scrambled out, the door slamming behind them violently.

“How did you figure it out?”

“Lōpō wouldn’t have known about the split personalities. But an angel would. Especially one that had been through it in the past. Are you One?”

“No.” He admitted, “Lucifer remains in the Cage. I’m the Devil. I killed this one and leeched his powers.”

Which was probably the better outcome, though it opened more questions than it answered.

“We have a long talk ahead of us.”

“Oh, yes we do.”


	4. Dean and His Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Dean talk about their relationships and familial bonds and the Three have some trouble with themself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added perspective markers to TIPO!

**.-~*~-.  
** DEAN  
 ***~-.-~***

Dean watched Sam rub his temples as Kali toyed with the TV remote, Crow and Cas in the kitchen doing only God knew what.

“Sam?” Dean gestured towards the back of the house and his brother got to his feet, making his way down the hall with Dean trailing after him.

“What do you think it is?” Sam asked after a moment.

“An angel.” Dean hesitated, kicking at the dirt before finally crossing the yard to sit on the edge of the pool, ignoring the sensation of his jeans and boots flooding with the water. Sam joined him after a bit of time and they looked up at the sky.  “How're you dealing with the two boyfriends and girlfriend?”

“That’s not how that works, Dean. They are all Gabriel. It’s not how it was after you came back.”

“It kinda is. He’s not all there. Not all the time.”

“He is. It’s just what aspect of his personality is dominant. It’s not like you think it is because it’s not like before.” Dean didn’t really believe that Sam believed that for a second. He didn’t buy it. But it was also frustratingly clear that Sam wasn’t going to let that idea stick in his head.

Dean paused, thinking for a few seconds before finally saying what was on his mind. “Does Kali creeping around not worry you?”

“Worry me how?” Sam huffed an irritated breath. “Is that why you’re being defensive? Are you worried Gabe will suddenly fall back in love with his ex-wife?”

“That’s not it. But there’s history and she’s-”

“Two problems with this argument Dean. The first is pretty simple. Kali isn’t his ex-wife. _Sigyn_ was and she was a very different entity. I’ve _seen_ his memories of her. So, no. I’m not threatened by a memory. The second part is the part you never for a second considered.”

“What?” Because he was honestly at a loss for what could possibly follow that feasible argument.

“At the end of the day, Gabriel is a Pagan. I willingly entered into a relationship with someone that, sooner or later, won’t be able to handle it being _just_ me.”

Dean stared at his brother at a loss for words. Trying to comprehend how _fine_ he was with that concept. “You’re waiting on him to cheat on you.”

“I’m waiting for him to come to me about it. If he was who he was when we first met him, I could see it going the other way. And who knows? Maybe he will anyways. But I’m pretty positive that with Coyote floating around in there, he’ll come to me about it before doing something stupid.”

Dean hesitated for several long moments, thinking about everything he knew about relationships- which wasn’t nearly enough to be particularly useful in a normal conversation. This discussion was so far out of his comfort zone it wasn’t even funny.

“Do you want that, Sam? Do you want him to-” Dean gestured inarticulately, trying to figure out what the hell Sam was trying to say. “-end things. Or is it… hell, what’s that word? You wanting to get into an…”

The word refused to escape his mouth and he huffed an irritated breath.

“Open relationship?” Sam finished for him. “Or a polyamorous one if it comes to that.” 

Yes. That was what he was looking for as far as words went and Sam’s tone was more than enough to confirm that that was an answer. Not a suggestion.

“If you’re worried for the sanctity of my relationship, though. You _could_ talk to him. You and him have that weird relationship that I _still_ don’t get and I’ve known you your whole life. It flows both ways if you’re playing the brother card and you know it.”

“Gabe’s different. I mean the whole brother thing has been different since he became one person again. I thought it’d be the same, y’know?”

“From what you’ve said, Purgatory was constant hacking and slashing through hoards of monsters. Of course, it’s changed. Before Purgatory, you and Gabe weren’t exactly best friends and you haven’t really tried to adapt to the changes.”

“That’s because he’s always with you or the damned Tricksters.” The response was snippy and he instantly regretted it when his brother gave him a stunned look.

“Really?”

“Shut up.”

“That’s actually really funny. I hope you know that I’m telling him you miss being around him.”

“Says the boyfriend.”

“You brought it up.” Dean huffed and stood up. “Assuming things work out with whatever it is that’s going on there.”

“If you were worried, you’d be in there harassing Crow.” Then, without warning, he put all of his strength into shoving Sam into the pool, rushing inside with the angry shouts of his brother echoing behind him.

His phone started ringing and he sighed deeply, pulling it from his pocket and shoving it to his ear. “Damn it, _what_?”

 _“Someone’s in a bad mood.”_ A familiar female voice came from the other line. “ _Hey, Dean._ ”

“Charlie?”

_“The one and only. What’s got you in such a pissy mood?”_

“Long story. Are you in town?”

_“Sorry. Me and Eileen are in Florida. I was actually hoping you could offer a hand on a case.”_

“Where’s it at?”

“ _South Dakota. Little town called Mobridge. There’s hearts missing so the answer’s obvious but all my other contacts are pretty far west. Any chance you can handle it?”_

There was a lot of crap going on but a hunt would be at least a minor distraction while they waited to find out whether or not Gabe had solved the problem with the Aztecs. “We’ll head up there.” Dean told her. Who it entailed was an entirely different question. Sam would probably refuse because there were more important things than a hunt. Depending on his mood, Cas might go, though his strict “no Tricksters on hunts” rule might cause problems if the looks he’d caught the angel giving Crow were anything to go by.

“ _Thanks_!” Charlie sounded extremely relieved.

“No problem. How’s Kevin doing?”

“ _He’s fine. I managed to get him reenrolled in school and things seem to be going well for him. Eileen says hi_.”

“Tell her we say hey. I gotta go. Sam’s coming and I don’t wanna get drenched.” He hung up and threw himself in his and Cas' room before slamming and locking the door, ignoring Sam’s attempts at getting in.

“You earned it!”

“Damn it, Dean! I hope Gabe fills your bed with kittens again!” Dean laughed, shaking his head and sliding down the door.

“Hey, Cas.” He acknowledged the angel on their bed. “Where’d your boyfriend go?”

“Crow is not my boyfriend.”

“You sure look at him like he is. Where’d he go?”

“To join with Coyotl in Lōpō’s lair. He wouldn’t tell me what was happening.”

“He probably doesn’t know. Their weird mind melds only ever work when they’re in the immediate vicinity of each other.”

“Are you not worried?”

“It’s Gabe. He’s survived this before without us. He’ll be fine.” Cas didn’t answer, laying back on the mattress. “You up for a hunt?”

“Is now a good time for that?”

“It’s not doing us any good being here with our thumbs up our asses. Worst case, we cut out halfway through.”

“Very well.” Cas conceded after far less hesitation and reasoning with him than usual. Not even a comment about how as an angel he could do it without much work. Either he was getting it, or he was really bothered by something. He had to wonder what had happened while he was talking with Crow. Hopefully the dick hadn’t rejected him.

Yeah, he didn’t like Crow or Coyotl.

“Are you inviting Sam?”

“I was going to. You want me not to?”

“I don’t wish to speak with Gabriel right now and if Sam comes, he will join us if he resolves whatever happens with the Aztecs.”

“What happened?”

“Nothing. I just had a realization earlier and am feeling very inclined to stab him.” Dean smirked, shaking his head.

“Is that a new feeling?”

“No. But it is much more pronounced currently.”

Whatever it was, Cas probably wasn’t going to give him specifics so he dropped it, humming _Back in Black_ while he shoved clothes into his duffle. “Can you get my suit from the laundry room?”

“Yes.” Cas disappeared, returning a few seconds later to rest the fabrics on the bed before going to open the door when someone knocked on it.

“Kali.”

“I want to join you on your hunt.”

“No.” Both Cas and Dean said at the same time.

“Very well, then. But you need to take Sam with you.”

“That’s an oddly specific request.”

“I don’t think he should be forced to deal with the Three on his own when they get back. Because, I promise you both. Loki will return.”

“Do you know what’s going on?”

“I have my suspicions. In my time with Loki I learned far more about him than he has ever given me credit for.”

“Do you still love him?” The way she looked at Gabriel hadn’t passed his notice. He wasn’t stupid.

“Are you worried I’m going to steal your brother’s boyfriend?” She countered with an exasperated sigh. “I know what it’s like to be hurt by him and I would _never_ wish that on your brother. I’ve also never once denied my feelings or my thoughts on my history with him. Don’t jump to conclusions on topics you don’t know the full story on, Dean Winchester.”

What did _that_ mean? No, he didn’t want to know. He couldn’t help but believe that she didn’t want to break his brothers up so he’d take that as it was.

“Then I’ll take him with me. Kali-”

“I am going to leave now. I am a long way from home. Tell Gabriel that if he needs more help, I will come.” Then she disappeared. Not a sound or indication she had been there.

“I truly wish she was wrong.”

“So do I, Cas.” He muttered, glaring at the door for a minute before pressing out. “Sam! Pack a bag! We’re going to South Dakota!” He beat on his brother’s door two rooms down, waiting a good thirty seconds before the other man opened the door. He’d changed clothes, hair soaking wet. “Nice hair.”

“Shut up. We aren’t going on a hunt.”

“Yes, we are. Gabe will meet us wherever we’re at and you know it’ll do us some good to get out of here for a while. Maybe while we’re out we can pick up Krypto from Angela’s.”

“Michigan is nowhere near South Dakota.”

“Fine. I’ll make Cas get Krypto if you go on this hunt with me. When was the last time you left the house without Gabe- that wedding doesn’t count.”

Sam refused to answer, giving him one of his patented bitch faces.

“Thought so. Pack a bag. It’ll be a few days.”

“Dude, your priorities are so off right now it’s worrying.”

“My priorities are right where they need to be! Not thinking about one of my brothers getting themselves killed by doing something stupid.”

Sam’s expression shifted a bit, a lighter one replacing the exasperated one that had started to make itself known. “Brothers and sister.”

“No.”

“By your definition, when they’re Three, I have two boyfriends and a girlfriend. Means you’re stuck with two brothers and a sister. Get used to it, Dean because this might be permanent.”

“This won’t be permanent. They reconnected last time.”

“Last time they had Cagn. They’re gone, though.” For the first time since he’d realized Gabriel’s identity crisis started back up, Dean felt genuine concern.

“What do you mean Cagn’s gone?”

“You really don’t listen when we talk, do you?” Sam glared at him with frustration. “Cagn is _missing_. Gabriel’s certain that they’re not dead but they’re still missing. After the… separation happened we tried summoning them. We’ve been looking for _months_.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me any of this?”

“I knew you knew that he wasn’t acting normal. You didn’t ask us what was going on so I figured you didn’t want to know.”

“That’s crap and you know it.”

“You’re telling me you’d have helped them? Dean, you’ve been avoiding us both since you realized what was happening. If you wanted to help, you would have brought it up.”

“If you’d _asked,_ I would have helped. I’m not a complete dick.” What he hated was how right Sam was. Maybe it had been at least partially subconscious, but he had chosen not to address the topic. He had actively _avoided_ it. And if that wasn’t one of the crappiest things he’d done since returning from Purgatory, he didn’t know what was.

“You obviously didn’t want to.” Sam scowled, pushing past him. “Go. You want to go on this hunt, go on it. Don’t do anything stupid, though. You won’t have me and Gabe to pull your ass other when you do something reckless.”

“I haven’t been reckless!”

“You’ve been _thrillseeking._ That’s completely reckless. This isn’t Purgatory, Dean. It’s Earth and we _aren’t_ immortal. Resurrections have been banned by both Heaven and Hell. You’re on your last life and rather than trying to protect it, you’ve been nearly throwing it away at every turn!”

“Oh, and you haven't? Sam, every damned time you go on a hunt with me you’re hardly focused! You don’t help me anymore, you weigh me down!” He wanted to stop but the words kept coming. Harsh and angry in a way he hadn’t realized they could be. Because he hadn’t realized he _was_. That either of them were. “It’s like you want to be some damned damsel in distress, have your boyfriend swoop in and save the day like the hero he can be. Yeah, maybe I’ve been reckless but it’s not like having you there is _actually_ useful anymore! I don’t know why I thought inviting you was a good idea!”

Then Sam punched him. It was a harder hit than he’d been expecting, sent him stumbling back into the wall before he regained his composure and threw himself right back at his brother. It wasn’t really clear _why_ they were even fighting anymore. Cas eventually came running out of the room to drag Dean off his little brother, an amused Kali joining the fray to restrain Sam. Hadn’t she left?

“Can’t leave them alone for ten minutes, can we?” Gabriel- no _Loki's_ voice was sudden in the air, Dean’s head whipping to the right where the three stood in three different positions, Coyote with an annoyed look on her face, Gabriel seemingly unamused, and Loki nearly gleeful.

They weren’t alone.

Behind them was a Hispanic man whose eyes glinted with something familiar, something that sent a chill down his spine.

“Lucifer.” Sam said before Dean was able to place it. Lucifer. _Lucifer_ was here. That wasn’t possible. Gabriel had confirmed that him and Michael were _both_ in The Cage during his last visit to see Michael.

“Not quite.” Loki hummed, pushing off where he’d leaned against the wall, walking over to tap Coyote on the shoulder. Coyote lifted her head, glaring at him for a moment before tilting her head. Loki leaned in then a rainbow light flashed, leaving Coyote and Gabriel as the only two standing.

“What does he mean not quite?”

“I will answer. After you tell me what you’re fighting for. You haven’t fought since before you came back.”

“They were being children.” Kali answered unhelpfully, flinching back when Sam elbowed her in the side.

“Dean’s suicidal behavior.”

“No, it was his uselessness in _hunts_ that started this damned thing.”

“No, what started it was-”

“Stop. _Both_ of you.” Coyote interrupted though Dean was certain it was Loki speaking- though they still held themself like Coyote. _Ugh_. Still confusing. “This is why I will never have kids again. Always arguing over stupid crap.”

“I can promise you that as long as you’re with me you will never have kids so that’s not a worry you should have.” Sam muttered loudly. Dean wondered if Sam had told his mostly boyfriend about the specifics with that.

“Glad we’re on the same page, Sam.” Coyote-Loki answered with a slight grin. Dean couldn’t tell which it was but had no doubt they’d melded back together. Two-thirds of the three.

“Who is that?” Sam repeated the question and Dean shot his gaze back to the silent figure standing a few inches behind Gabriel most definitely looking like he was but wasn’t Lucifer.

“This is my old friend Lōpō.”

“Minus the friend.”

“Half of my brother. This is the second part of Lucifer. The Devil aspect.”

“The Devil.” Dean repeated, staring at the man in the back who wasn’t a man at all. Gabriel had mentioned it, once. How he’d known of another angel to have an identity split. Back when Lucifer Fell.

“They were together when we went into The Cage, though.”

“I was.” The Devil answered with a thick Mexican accent. “Until he came.” The Devil nodded towards Castiel who was standing quietly at his side, prepared for a fight. “We tried to ride the angel that would call himself God but we were torn apart. Lucifer remained below, I am significantly weaker than my other half.”

“Why an Aztec?” Sam asked. Because that was what one did in the face of half of the creature that tried to wipe the planet out. Ask stupid questions. Coyote-Loki didn’t look any happier with the revelation than Dean and Cas felt. Obviously, she’d known which meant this trust was being placed by Gabriel. Their Archangel. Not their Tricksters. Dean had never trusted that judgement more than now.

“Aztec gods change often. No one questions when a new face replaces the old. Dying religions alternate between each other, to keep things living. I am by rights a God.”

“Tricksters don’t.” Coyote-Loki murmured.

“I am sorry I involved you with this. Especially in this way. I worry, though. I am far from fond of my other portion. He is the corrupted and tainted half. The one that will end humanity.”

“The insane part.” Gabriel offered unhelpfully. “Lōpō is the rational. My brother killed me, not the second portion that existed for a few thousand years. A portion Lucifer hid away because Father forbid that he acknowledge his time as a Pagan icon.”

“’Father forbid’. That’s very us of you.”

“Shut up, Lo. Gabe, why’s he here?”

“I am standing here.”

“We're aware,” Dean glared at the Devil who held up his hands and stepped back.

“I will give you a moment with your brothers.”

“I’ll watch him.” Kali spoke up before Dean could get a word in, following the Devil out the back door. The moment they were out Sam moved forward, first pulling Coyote-Loki into a tight hug then moving to Gabriel who he didn’t touch immediately. Holding back for reasons Dean wasn’t sure he wanted to know. Or reasons he could guess. The same reason Dean hadn’t tried to stab the Devil immediately, why Cas was holding back as well.

“I don’t care if he’s your brother. You know what they did.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Really? Not that simple? I seem to recall you insisting on apologizing for you did to me. Because it was you. _All_ of you.”

“I am _not_ defending Lucifer. I’m not defending _him_. They killed me as well. I died because of him.”

“Then _why_ is he here?” Dean suddenly felt uncomfortable, like this was a conversation he shouldn’t be there for. Like he was listening to something that wasn’t his business to hear.

“This isn’t something we need to discuss here.”

“Why not? They’re your brothers too. Why shouldn’t we talk about the fact that you keep visiting that son of a bitch.”

Hurt. Dean’s protective instincts screamed at him to defend his brother, his gaze meeting Gabriel’s conflicted and mostly apologetic gaze.

“It isn’t Lucifer.”

“What?”

“I don’t go to Hell for Lucifer.” Gabriel said slowly, Coyote-Loki suddenly moving so she could push Sam back just a step.

Sam was dead silent.

 _Michael_. While the word wasn’t said, Dean knew that was what was being left unsaid. _Michael._ Something he knew. Gabriel went to Hell for Michael. Sam hadn’t known and had assumed Lucifer. Because Gabriel had never told him. Never explained the complicated relationships of the Archangels.

“I don’t visit Lucifer. Lucifer killed me in cold blood, Sam. I don’t trust the Devil because it’s a good idea to trust him. I trust what he’s saying because his self-preservation is that good.”

“Why is he here?” Sam’s voice was softer this time, shoulders tense with the shame coated words. Like a child caught in a lie times ten thousand. Like he’d been when their dad asked him if Dean had told him what he actually did.

“Because he needed to talk to Gabriel.” Coyote-Loki answered when Gabriel stayed quiet, gaze lost in the distance. “He knew we wouldn’t come willingly because of who he is so he set up a ridiculously complex plan.”

“He used her to summon me. Because when we’re like this, I can ignore summonings.” Gabriel added. “It was cruel and unnecessary but he had a perfectly good reason for it.” Coyote-Loki didn’t look like she agreed.

“Gabe, I am well aware of how much you hate Lucifer. What’s the deal?”

“Let him-”

“Devil told us that he’s getting stronger. He thinks the Cage is compromised.”

“I take it you don’t believe him?” Sam asked Coyote-Loki.

“I think the Devil and Lucifer are both lying pieces of crap and we shouldn’t listen to a damned word they say.”

“You weren’t there the first time.”

“No, but I remember it. That 'you don’t know' excuse doesn’t work here, Gabe. We remember perfectly well who we all are. Identity crisis isn’t changing that.”

“It changes perspective. Neither of you knew him personally but I did.”

“If you’re so sure everything is fine, come back. Or let us come back. Three in One, if you win then we listen. If we win you stab him nice and clean.”

“No.” _Gabriel._ Dean hadn’t expected it to be Gabriel that would refuse his other portions but there they were. Why Gabriel, though? What did he gain-

_The Cage is getting weaker._

“Gabriel.”

“I know what you think, Castiel but it is not that. I’m not that selfish. I’m not willing to _risk_ that.”

A glance at Cas confirmed they were on the same track, suspicious of the same thing.

“I have a boyfriend.” Gabriel scowled. “Trust me, don’t. I don’t care. I’m not trying to drag Michael out of The Cage.”

“Michael- why does that not shock me?” Sam asked, stepping back over to Coyote who grabbed his hand.

“Sam-”

“You’re being unreasonable. If you want to make a deal with the Devil, then I guess we can’t stop you. But if anyone else here should understand why it’s a bad idea it should be you. Two thirds of you gets it.”

“You don’t even know what he wants.”

“I’m not helping him.”

“Cas.”

“Gabriel, I would like to say this is exceedingly stupid.”

 _But I will help you._ Dean finished for the angel with a frustrated sigh.

“But if you insist on doing this, I will help you. Especially knowing neither Sam nor Dean will do it.”

“One is better than nothing, I suppose.”

“Gabe, please.” Sam begged, casting those damned puppy eyes that Gabe actively avoided looking at. “I’m sorry. This might tell us what happened to Cagn.”

“Rot in Hell.” Coyote-Loki said softly before Gabriel disappeared, Castiel following in a flutter of wings.

“I should’ve killed him.”

“Which one?” Dean asked Coyote-Loki who huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Sometimes killing Gabriel would be easier than being him.”

“So, guys. Why didn’t any of you tell me about Michael?”

“Hey, don’t look at me. I thought you knew he was visiting his first ex.”

“Coyote.” Sam said sternly, glowering irritably.

“We’re split right now. Unfortunately. Loki.” She- he? corrected, crossing her arms over her chest. “We ended it when we left Heaven. Yeah, we loved him. Gabe would probably deny it on his own but it was true. First person we ever loved was Michael. We weren’t visiting our ex. We were visiting our older brother. An older brother that, up until when we were One again, we’d assumed hated us for leaving Heaven.”

“Alright.” Sam looked over his shoulder and Dean nodded once, grabbing Castiel's shoulder to guide him back into their room.

“Sam isn’t angry.”

“Sam’s relationship isn’t my concern. I don’t want specifics. I don’t need them. As long as things are fine, I won’t have to beat Gabe’s ass for it.”

“What if Sam were to hurt him?”

“Not you too. Look, anyone screws with any of my brothers- brother or not. _God_ or not, I will beat them till they’re bloody. I’m half tempted to go take a brick to both Kali and the damned _Devil_.”

“Gabriel has forgiven Kali but I would gladly join you in attempting to kill the Devil. There is good reason to believe that his death would result in Lucifer’s as well.”

“She still wants Gabe dead. He hasn’t forgiven her for that. He’s genuinely worried she will try to kill him and if you tell me I’m wrong I’ll make you sleep on the couch.”

“You can’t sleep alone anymore, Dean. You would never put me on the couch.”

“Try me.”

Cas looked like he was seriously considering it which said wonders for his ability to read the angel and not the ability the angel had at expressing himself. Sometimes, he really missed Purgatory.

“How about we do this hunt instead? If Sam needs us, he’ll pray.”

“I would like that.” Heaving his duffel from the floor, he made his way back for the door, heading out front with Cas close behind him. “Should I get Krypto from Phoenix?”

“Yeah. I’m gonna go ahead and go, only God knows how long they’ll keep you there before you can leave.”

“They won’t keep me.”

“That’s what everyone says.” Dean countered, tossing his bag in the back before climbing into the front seat of the Impala.

It would be fine.


	5. Loki and The Weight of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki deals with his relationship with Sam then she has a discussion with Kali.

**.-~*~-.**  
LOKI  
***~-.-~***

Loki paced restlessly back and forth across the room while Sam watched them. For the moment, Coyote had decided they were better off sharing her body.

“Loki.”

“He’s hiding himself. What does he think we’ll do? Go and kill our brother? How are you just _sitting_ there, Sam? He’s your boyfriend!”

Sam rolled his eyes, raising a brow at him and he scowled, stubbornly refusing to meet his gaze when the man rose to his feet.

_‘Can we be me?’_

_‘I can’t stop you.’_

_‘Not an answer, Coyote.’_

_‘It is. You like being in our female body. You always have. You can leech off my Trickster when we’re in contact just as easy as breathing. Human doesn’t make you human right now.’_ Maybe she was right. He _was_ more comfortable in the female body.

“He won’t go far, Loki. And you’re my boyfriend as well.”

“Pretty sure I’m your girlfriend right now.”

“Should I call you ma’am?” Sam asked with a roll of his eyes. “I thought you were human right now.”

“Coyote’s not. As she keeps reminding me. Human doesn’t mean crap when we’re two-thirds.”

“Are you two-thirds or two one-thirds?” Sam asked him and he considered the question for a moment.

“Kiss me and we’ll see.” Loki declared, grinning deviously. Coyote scowled internally but didn’t argue it.

“You don’t just like kissing.”

“And Coyote doesn’t mind it. Guess we need to go-”

“No.” Loki turned, tilting his head up to see Coyote standing behind him. She looked like Gabriel. The male body this time. And Loki was still a she for the moment. Maybe he could swap with her, but why would he? Female was fun when the curse of humanity wasn’t permanent. Maybe it was something that they preferred overall.

“Coyote.”

“Sam.” She responded, shoving Loki to the side to wrap their Hunter in an embrace, resting her head on his chest. “What Loki is refusing to say is that he’s worried that Gabe will get us all killed.”

 _‘She.’_ She corrected decidedly, Coyote huffing against Sam’s shoulder.

_‘Is that permanent?’_

_‘Maybe.’_

“I can speak for myself.”

“Clearly, you won’t, though.”

“Are you worried?”

“Yes.” Coyote answered and Loki snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. “I think Gabriel is going to get himself hurt. Potentially kill us all.”

Coyote stepped back, rolling her shoulders and sighing deeply. “Which is why I’m going to find him. Loki, I love you as much as I love myself but you’re too reckless.”

“Reckless. You’re joking, right?”

“No.”

“We’re the same person!”

“Exactly. This is why you’re going to stay with our boyfriend. We won’t leave him alone when the Devil is loose.”

“If you leave, I’ll be trapped as a human! You can’t possibly-”

“We’ve done it before. You took it better than any of us to be honest. If you want your powers back, get Gabriel to bring you your soul. You’re not weak and pathetic like you really like pretending to be. Man up.”

“Maybe the body does fit. You sound more like me than you.”

“And you look more like me than you. We’re not like we were the first time and you aren’t stupid. Stop playing dumb. Grow up.” She shifted, turning her focus back on Sam. “I’m going to the others. The Tricksters. We aren’t going to be able to force Gabriel to join us again and-“ _I don’t know if that’s what we should do yet_. Loki heard her say, even when they weren’t the words that left her mouth eventually, “I don’t want to think of what it’ll mean if Gabe dies.”

“We’ve been trying to reach Cagn for months. What do you think has changed?” Sam asked, frowning.

“Crow mentioned a few days ago that Sun Wukong is planning a meeting at Cagn’s. Us looking alone is not the same as every living Trickster on the planet banding together to hunt down our creator. Our parent. Cagn is the first and if they are gone, we lose our leverage over the Gods. We’ve all made enemies, Sam. Lōpō pulling that stunt -whether he meant it or not- showed our hand.”

“You keep talking about Tricksters like you’re all… one.”

“We are. To an extent. We feed off the same power as each other. Every ounce of Trickster energy is born from the same place and returns to it when we die.”

“Cagn.”

“Yeah.” Loki input, lifting her head to meet Sam’s gaze. “We never told you what they are. What they were. Why Daddy dearest played favorites when he didn’t need to. He didn’t have a choice. Tricksters aren’t just Gods. They’re made from an essence of pre-Creation. A Primordial that stood with God when the Archangels were first made. It helped God create us. It never had a name. Lucifer and Michael told me that the Primordial faded into nothing with many of the others but Gabriel recognized them when we were first split. Cagn is that. Cagn is one of the oldest Primordials, could probably be called our mother if you wanna get all technical on the aspects of two beings creating something together.”

“Always forget how old you are.” Sam said after a long, quiet moment. “I wish he was here.”

“We’ll get him back.” Coyote said softly, bowing her head. “We’ll get him back and we’ll reconnect. We’ll become One.”

“Is that what you want?” Sam asked, surprising both of them. Loki opened then shut her mouth, meeting Coyote’s gaze.

Did they want to reconnect?

The question should’ve had an easy answer. It should’ve been _of course_. But it wasn’t. For more reasons than one, it wasn’t that easy anymore. They’d been Three. They’d been One. They’d been two-thirds and one-third and it was always easiest when they _were_ One. But it wasn’t the best option either. It hadn’t ever been the best.

_“I don’t like being whole, Castiel.” Gabriel had admitted one night not long after they first became one again while Dean slept beside them, wings folded tightly around his two brothers._

_“You didn’t kill them. You_ are _them.”_

_“It’s not that easy, Cas.” He’d said softly. “We are one but sometimes I can feel the other portions. It feels like I’m crushing myself. Killing off either one part or the other. I’m three people.”_

_“You’re one person.”_

_“One body doesn’t make one person.”_

_“Can you two shut up and sleep?” Dean had interrupted, annoyed and tired. “You can have a crisis in the morning.”_

_They hadn’t talked about it more that night or any other day. Cas had prompted them several times but he’d avoided it._

“I don’t know.” Loki was the first to say. “What I do know is, there’s not enough of One to be Three and too much of Three to be One.”

Coyote didn’t say another word, disappearing in a soft poof, dust kicking up where there was none beneath her.

“Maybe you don’t need to be One.”

“There’s easier ways to ask for polyamory.” Loki muttered, crossing the room to collapse into their bed. Completely changing the topic in hopes of throwing the conversation off the rails. Much to her annoyance, and lack of surprise, Sam didn’t let it deter him.

“I’m not asking for that right now. I’m making a point, Lo. You haven’t worked as Three in _months_. Trust me. I’m the bystander to the insanity.” The bed dipped and she rolled onto her side as her Hunter lay down before her. A smile played on her lips as she reached between them, threading her fingers between his.

“I don’t know how you handle us. Especially me.”

“Lots of patience.”

“Kali was here. Why?”

Sam frowned, expression showing little of the reaction she’d been hoping for. Actual distraction from the other topic. “Because she wants to help.”

“No. She wants to kill me. Remember? In fact, if I remember clearly, which I do, she has promised to be the one _that_ kills me. And you’re letting her hang out like she’s your best friend.”

“She doesn’t want to kill you anymore.” Sam sighed deeply, sounding far older than he had any right to. Not with Loki in front of him. “She just wants you to think she wants you dead. She’s still in love with you, dumbass.”

She flinched, averting her gaze. “Wow, not pulling any punches there. Did she tell you?”

“No, she didn’t. But she didn’t need to. She came to some random human’s wedding. Not because she knew them or cared about them but because you _asked_ her to.”

“I gave her a dress.”

“I’m sure she has a _million_ dresses. Even if she didn’t, why in the hell would she accept a gift from a person she hates? Do such a ridiculous favor- and _yes_. It was a painfully stupid request. Me and Dean wouldn’t have gone if it wasn’t for you because while you might be attached to them, we definitely aren’t. Frankly, Phoenix makes us both seriously uncomfortable even though he tries really hard not to do the creepy fanboying thing.”

“I know.”

“Which part? Because I swear if you play stupid, you’re sleeping on the couch.”

“I’d sleep with our brother before I slept on the couch. But fine. I get it. I see it. What’s it matter if she is? She’s history, Sam. I promised you monogamy and that’s what we’re doing. Even if we weren’t, I don’t think I can be with Kali. Sigyn was who I loved and Sigyn is dead.”

Sam didn’t answer and Loki moved closer, pressing herself against him.

“You want her.” Loki realized far later than she should have. It had been just long enough that she’d grown used to the limitless memory of an immortal, being able to rationalize and read everything at once.

Still missing the obvious- but less so.

“She’s interesting.” Sam admitted carefully and Loki chuckled, kissing her Hunter deeply before pulling away, smiling teasingly.

“Either you want to screw her, or you want to go further. Let me be the first to say, I don’t blame you for a second. I _was_ married to her.”

“I’m not saying that.” Sam muttered, kissing her again. Like that would distract her from the conversation at all.

Okay maybe it did. For a minute. She pried herself away from him with an immense amount of willpower, licking her lips and straddling his stomach from where she was now on top of him. “And you’re not denying it. Your refusal to lie to me is adorable, Sammy.”

“You’re an ass.”

“Mhm. So, here’s the deal. You tell me how long you’ve been lusting after my ex and we continue this little makeout session.”

“And if I keep refusing to answer your questions?”

“I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“You can’t sleep alone.” Sam pointed out and she raised an eyebrow in challenge. “Fine. She’s been around a lot more than you know. Lurking around since you guys started going to Hell to visit Michael.”

“So, before I went to her about the wedding. What did you do with her?”

“Ignored her at first.” Sam admitted as Loki leaned down, pressing a soft kiss against his neck, running her hands down his sides to push aside the annoying clothing layers. “Started helping out.” Sam continued. “And she’s good at helping.”

“I thought you didn’t like help.”

“I don’t like your help. You’re as bad as Dean.” Loki smiled at that, leaning back to tug her own shirt off.

“So, Kali came in like a patient knight in shining armor to pick up where we suck. If that isn’t the foundation for a healthy relationship, I don’t know what is.”

“I didn’t say relationship!” Sam protested.

“You didn’t say no either.” Loki countered, “Polyamory has always been an option and you know damn well. Monogamy is boring in the grand scheme of things. I’m the only one of us that’ll admit it, but it’s true. If you want to drag Kali in, I won’t stop you.”

“But?”

“Has to be open both ways. I know you’re going to agree because you’re not a selfish dick but it has to be said because I know how these things go. There needs to be information passing back and forth. No secrets. If you want to screw someone, I want to know. If you want to _date_ someone. We have to know.”

“That’s a two-way street.” Sam said carefully, hesitantly.

“Fine with me. If there is any. Must be getting old.” She grinned at the surprise on the Hunter’s face.

“Really?”

“Do constructs count?”

Sam rolled his eyes. “I think we already established constructs don’t count. I don’t want the specifics on that one, though. I want to know about people with souls or equivalent. That’s the rule. Sound good?”

“I can work with that.” She hummed, leaning down and kissing him deeply. It was fine- until it wasn’t. A conversation from what could’ve been a lifetime ago catching up with her. A potential consequence of this going any further without them being careful. “Sam- I’m human. We need to-”

“I’m not fertile.” Sam interrupted before she could even get the words out and she stared down at him, lost. The tension that radiated off of him killed the mood just a bit.

_Infertile._

“During my time without a soul… let’s just say me without a soul wasn’t particularly _careful_. But after everything happened… I took some time just to check. Didn’t tell Dean. There wasn’t any indication that he- I’d left behind any kids so I got myself looked at.”

“Didn’t Jess have a pregnancy scare?” Loki finally managed, fighting off the initial shock. He remembered Sam saying something about that. When they first got together. But he’d never mentioned the infertility.

“I think it was Lucifer.” Sam admitted quietly. Averting his gaze. Because Jessica was a sore topic that they tried not to mention. But so was The Cage and his time without a soul. The mood was dead but Loki wasn’t sure she wanted it to be. Why had she opened her mouth? “Just… kiss me.” So, she did. She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, just enjoying the contact, the places where their skin met. She could die happy in this man’s arms, she realized. No matter the amount of Loki she was, the humanity. Her Hell in Broward County. The influence of her other thirds. They had changed her. She couldn’t ever be _just Loki_ again. Not in the way of being a Pagan Trickster that didn’t give a damn.

“Loki?” Sam asked as she rolled off him, staring up at the ceiling.

“I never even asked. We never did. It was bold and stupid for us to assume. But I need to ask. I know you want to stop hunting. It’s painfully obvious that you want to stop. But what do you want? In the long-term.”

“Really killed the mood, didn’t I?”

“I’m always up for sex, Sammy. But you’ll have to make me stop thinking for that to be possible.”

Sam was quiet for a long moment, reaching over to trace patterns across her stomach. Sigils and wards that Loki could never hope to remember as long as she was human.

“A house. A real job. The people I love by my side.” People. Sam was the only one on the planet that consistently addressed them as multiples. Maybe she’d been stupid because it was simple, really. They already _were_ in a polyamorous relationship. Sam had two boyfriends and a girlfriend, all with different wants and needs. And Sam handled each of them based off of their own desires.

“No kids?” In that version of his dream life, he didn’t have kids in it but Sam had mentioned before that he’d wanted kids with Jessica. When he thought he was free from it all. When they were going to have the white picket fence life.

“Loki-”

“I’m being serious. Not being an ass. If we fixed you, if we made you fertile. Would you want kids?” Loki didn’t know what she wanted the answer to be. There were too many possible ways it could go wrong. Winchesters were cursed in their own way and Sam and Dean were the last of two of the most powerful bloodlines in Creation.

“Maybe.” Sam finally said and Loki let go of a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. “I always wondered what it would be like when I was younger but now that I’m getting older…”

“I feel obligated to tell you. I won’t do a nine-month pregnancy for you. You’d have to sucker someone else into it.”

“Like Kali?” Loki smiled then, nice and wide as she rolled over to finally meet Sam’s much lighter expression.

“Kali would eat you alive if you asked her to bear your offspring. And I’d pay to watch because it sounds absolutely hilarious. Tell you one thing, though. I will gladly try to make some babies with you right now.” Sam groaned in annoyance when Loki kissed him again.

“That’s the worst pickup line I’ve ever heard.”

“I know. But still. Wanna try?” She was positive it wasn’t the words that convinced her hunter to give in with a roll of his eyes.

“Yes.” Loki laughed as she crawled on top of him, leaning in to kiss him deeply.

 **.-~*~-.**  
LOKI  
***~-.-~***

The sky was dark when Loki slid into the backyard pool. The water was nice and warm, touching across every inch of exposed skin on her body.

“Are you wearing a bathing suit?” A voice asked from the shallow end of the pool, amusement seeping through her words.

“Not in the most technical term. But I am wearing underwear. The neighbors don’t like skinny-dippers. Something about four-year-old children. Why are you trying to move in on Sam, Kali?”

“I don’t know-”

“Save it. If you want him, we’ll share. But if you want to use him, I’ll kill you myself.”

“Even if I believed that threat at all,” Loki went under, letting the water flood across her face and soak her hair. Salt because chlorine was ridiculous and uncomfortable. “You’re human.”

“For now.” Loki agreed, tugging one of the pool noodles from where it had been left in the middle of the water to use as a minor flotation device. Kali had entered the water from the shallow end, standing waist deep in the warm water. Wearing a damned silk black gown that held its shape only because she was a Goddess and didn’t do normal things like let her clothes get ruined by water.

 _At least she’s dressed._ She made herself think, knowing full well it wasn’t a complete truth. But, hey. They’d been lying to themselves for years. When was a better time than now?

“I wouldn’t harm him just to spite you.” Kali finally admitted, continuing forward in the water, palms resting flat against the surface. “I would do a lot of things to spite you but I know all the things that those brothers have been through. We are both purveyors of their suffering.”

“I’ve made up for my past mistakes with him. Just like I have with you. Have you?”

Kali smiled at him, a soft and taunting smile that Loki hated because she knew what it meant. Kali was reading through her in a way no one else could. Not even the other two-thirds. “You’re jealous. Loki, I’m not here to start a fight. I’m not here to destroy your relationship. I’m here because I want to be. Because I’m fascinated by a human. And maybe that human belongs to you, perhaps I’ve overstepped. If I have? Say the words and I will leave. I will stop pursuing him.”

“Why would you do that for me?”

“You know why.”

Loki did. She knew exactly why. “We’ll share him.” Loki said again. “We already do. I’m not as selfish as I used to be. And he knows I’ll share.”

“That you’ll share.” Kali repeated and he grimaced. “Angels are monogamous. They mate for life.”

“That’s up for debate. Angels don’t comprehend love. Even if they did, Gabriel is being a difficult asshole. There’s already four people in this relationship. He can make room for another. I’m not the only guilty party when it comes to failure at monogamy.”

“It wasn’t ever the cheating that angered me. It was the favoritism.” Loki gave into temptation and treaded across the remainder of the pool so that she could stand across from the other woman. Sort of. If she wanted to kill her, there wasn’t much that a human could do to stop her.

“I love them all.”

“You preferred the demigods. Mostly The Serpent, the Wolf, and Hela. They were your favorites.”

“I love them all.” Loki repeated. Knowing it wasn’t completely true. “I never stopped grieving our boys. But when they were gone, when _you_ were gone. I had three- _four_ left… Three in most regards. My relationship with Sleipnir was… I don’t have favorites. I just… I can’t protect them anymore. Odin’s dead. I can’t take my revenge. Even if I could, I wasn’t prepared to start a war for them before and I’m not now. I’m tired of fighting.” She hated that she had to look up at Kali. They were the same height when she was in this form but Kali was still dressed completely, black heels giving her a few extra inches that forced Loki to look up from where she stood.

“Loki-”

“This has to stop, though. You need to let it go. If you aren’t going to kill me for it, you need to let it go. I wasn’t the only one responsible for their deaths. All of the Æsir could have stepped in. But they didn’t. Odin murdered two children because of something that they weren’t responsible for. Something that _I_ did. Didn’t do- actually. Do I need to remind you _who_ I supposedly killed?” She scowled at the Goddess then, pushing through the water to the edge of the pool. “Baldur. Baldur, who faked his death. _Baldur_ who you were screwing right before I died? Tell me. How is it reasonable for you to hold a grudge against me for a death I couldn’t have predicted but fine for you to screw the very person responsible for it?”

Kali didn’t answer her and Loki didn’t turn around to look at her, pushing up out of the water.

“If you can’t forgive me for something that was beyond my control, maybe I shouldn’t forgive you for that. But I have. I haven’t said a word about it because it’s petty but screw it. I’ll be petty. You screwed the man that indirectly murdered our kids. Maybe I cast the first stone, but he could have told Odin at any moment that I failed. Instead, he waited until after _our_ boys were dead. After you left and became Kali.”

“I’m sorry.” It wasn’t Kali that spoke from behind her, voice soft and smooth. Gentle in a way that Kali’s never was. “Loki, I’m sorry. You’re right.”

“We were both self-indulging assholes that used the children as excuses.” She turned a bit, meeting the soft brown gaze of someone entirely different- yet all the same. Because it was still _Sigyn_. Still Kali. Even with the all-too-familiar exterior of Sigyn’s first body. The long blonde hair, body cloaked in silver and red. Just an inch shorter than Loki’s current form.

“Forgive me.”

“We don’t work together, Sigyn. We never have.”

“Love each other too much for it to ever work.” She murmured, “I still want to kill you.”

“Purest form of love.” Sighing deeply, Loki tugged the other woman against her chest. “You don’t have to do this to yourself. You _aren’t_ her anymore.”

“I really am, though. I’ve never _stopped_ being her. I’m not like you. There’s no drastic split personality. There’s just _life_. Years of experience.”

“Guess it’s a bit easier for me then.” Loki mused, kissing her cheek before pulling away. “Sometimes I hate that I still love you.”

“Would be easier, wouldn’t it?” Kali considered, stepping back a bit. “So, I really want to know. I thought Coyote was the woman out of you Three.”

“Funny how that works, hm?” Loki asked, pressing her lips together. “I enjoyed being a woman last time around. Guess I never really got over it.”

“Funny how that works.” A smile curled up on her lips and Loki grinned. “You are much more attractive as a man.”

“Or you just aren’t attracted to women.”

“That could also be an issue.” Kali smiled. “Good thing it’s not _your_ body I want.”

“He does have a nice body, doesn’t he?” Loki grinned, turning her attention to the back door. Sam was asleep and she really should’ve joined him. Downside to being human. Probably one of the biggest. “Why my boyfriend, though? Of all of the damned people in existence, why my boyfriend?”

“Does there need to be a reason?”

“No.” Loki admitted, turning her focus to the Goddess. “Help me protect him. Gabe’s gone with my soul and Coyote’s with the rest of the Tricksters doing God knows what.” No matter how much she trusted Kali, the idea of revealing the fact that Cagn was missing to an outsider didn’t sit well with her. It was too risky.

“That’s why you’re human? I’ll go get your soul back. If you really want it.”

“What?”

“How do you think I’ve known when to visit? I have a tracking spell linked to all three aspects of your soul. I know where you all are at any given moment- well, with the exception of Coyote. I can’t seem to sense him at the moment.”

“Her.” Loki corrected without thinking. The body choice had never made their pronouns. “Wait- you’ve been _tracking_ us?”

“Since you came back. I had plans for you after it was done. Do you want me to get your soul back or not?”

“No.” The answer came quicker than she’d expected. Surer than it ever had been. For the moment, she was content with being human. Even if it meant that she couldn’t find Gabriel. Couldn’t kick his ass. “Can you check on him, though? Make sure that the damned Devil isn’t screwing us all.”

“He isn’t that bad.”

“You don’t know what we do. Especially if he remembers his identity. The fact that Gabriel is trusting him after all of the torture Sam endured- it’s not something I’d expect from him. It’s selfish and I don’t understand the motives behind it.”

“It was my understanding you know each other better than yourselves.”

“Knowing and understanding are different with Gabriel. Coyote and I are built from Trickster magic. Not angelic Grace. And the same is returned. I’m worried that his brotherly commitment is overwhelming his heavy emotions for Sam, though.”

“I will watch him for you.” Kali swore softly, “If you need me. All you need to do is pray.”

“I know. Thank you, Kali. For it all.” Loki turned away and made her way towards the house. Not ten minutes later she was curled up in bed next to her hunter, hair damp from the quick shower she’d taken and warmth deep in her chest.

Relief that things between her and the ones she loved were being properly handled.

“Get some sleep.” Sam murmured tiredly as he wrapped his arm around her side. “We both need it.”

“Such better things in life than sleep.” She countered, nestling back against him with a yawn. “Guess a few hours’ll work…” She muttered, slowly drifting off in the arms of the man she loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Under normal circumstances, polyamory should probably have more proper discussion to go with it. In this particular case it's more of an acknowledgement of something that they are for the most part aware of already existing.  
> I did reading into polyamory and I will fully admit that like most relationships, it's complicated. Much more complicated than I can fully grasp from an hour or so of reading. Relationships need communication, people. Talk things over with your partner or partners! Never assume reading some stuff online will help you get it. Especially from someone like me who has never been in a relationship in their life. :)


	6. Coyote and Cagn's Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coyote visits Cagn's home and they talk with several of the Tricksters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: A bit more graphic violence than usual in this chapter. Nothing that should be too atypical to canon though.

**.-~*~-.**  
COYOTE  
 ***~-.-~***

Coyote elbowed Crow in the side, shooting him a frustrated look as Kutkh jumped up on the table. His cloak shimmered into a long line of ravenblack feathers, the room going quiet as the Russian Trickster shattered the plate and glass that had been set before him.

“We are not _children!_ ” He declared, running his fingers through long, greasy black hair. “We are not here because Loki wronged you or Heyoka ruined your home’s _climate_. This is not about our childish vendettas between one another.”

“The Archangel _Gabriel_ holds no place among us.” Veles’ voice was sharp as a knife, hateful in a way that Coyote personally didn’t understand until she took into account Loki’s history with the man. Her history.

“Good thing there are no Archangels present then. I only see Tricksters. Tricksters with histories and lives far more vast than my homeland.”

“I see an Archangel in the guise of a Trickster. It holds no place here.” Coyotl was growling to her right, low and deep in his throat.

“And I see a rabbit, acting as though it’s opinion matters more than mine.” Coyotl spoke sharply, ready to throw himself across the table, tear into Nanabozho with teeth as sharp as knife blades.

“Stop.” Coyote reached over, resting a hand on his shoulder. “They aren’t wrong.” She stood, stepping up onto the hard wooden chair beneath her. Not the table. Just to get their attention, not to take the position that Kutkh could get away with. Not an authority. Just a speaker. “You’re right. I _was_ an Archangel. Part of me always will be. It’s not a secret anymore but it is also far more complex than most of you understand.”

Crow touched her ankle. A silent _You don’t have to do this._

She offered her hand, relaxing at the contact as Crow’s palm touched hers. Just a brush of skin. Anciently familiar contact saying more than words ever could fully process. _I know._

“I am Gabriel. I am _Loki_. But I’m also neither of them right now- because we aren’t one. We were dead. We died at the Elysian Fields like so many others. Mercury ensured our destruction on that day and before any of you jump to the defense of him. He was a _fool_. He led every individual in that hotel to their deaths. All except one. Because I saved her.”

“Kali.” Kaulu said softly in the same moment Lugh said, “Sigyn.”

“Yes. I died that day. I died the death of an Archangel.”

 _“…and I love you. But you are a great big bag of dicks.”_ A shiver ran down her spine, Lucifer’s anger burning bright in her mind. A warning of where Gabriel was. Who Gabriel had chosen over them. Over _Sam_.

“And when the afterlife tried to hold me. I did what we all do. I told Death he’d have to destroy me first. I wasn’t going down unless I was forced. So, I fought my way back. I fought through monsters and beasts for my life at risk of my own destruction. I risked it all just to keep going and I beat Death. Then Cagn came to me and told me I would redeem myself. I have suffered for my crimes. I spent _months_ as a human. But it goes further, because Cagn would never do something partway. I am one part of three people. Cagn divided our essences. I’m not Gabriel. I am _Coyote_. Just as Loki is Loki and Gabriel is _Gabriel._ We might be the same person but we’re the same person divided.”

“That isn’t possible.” Nezha said.

“The truth.” Kutkh said, “Lugh.”

“She is telling the truth.” The most honest of the Tricksters spoke softly, “Cagn came to a select few of us after their resurrection. The ones that would help too much. Their friends and families. What I don’t quite understand is why you are alone again. Cagn told us you were repaired.”

“We were. Until they disappeared.”

“You can’t possibly believe this.” Nanabozho was glaring at her. With the hatred of a thousand years burning in those dark nearly black eyes. Bitterness from the only Trickster that Coyote had ever had direct rivalries with.

“I believe the truth from the mouth of Lugh.” Veles said quietly, reluctance pouring from every word. “But the truth changes nothing. Coyote’s imprisonment showed weakness in us that no outsider was supposed to know. You rolled over and exposed your belly to the beasts that would have us all destroyed.”

“I never roll over.” Coyote bared her teeth at the other, “I stand and fight.”

“I really doubt that. Give me an hour and you’ll be-” Coyotl didn’t have to move. But he did. The two coyotes threw themselves at the serpent bear, claws and teeth sinking into flesh turn scale. Still too soft beneath their joint assault. There was shouting behind them, angry and bitter and harsh but no one stepped in.

Not one moved to defend either side.

A long, serpentine tail cut across her waist. Wrapping around her torso. Digging in. Sharp and jagged and smooth in a hundred different ways. Blood pooled at her sides but she didn’t dare stop. Still, she drove her teeth straight through scale and skin until she was able to pull back. Cutting. Tearing.

Then arms were around her sides. A sharp blade pressed into the serpentine neck as ragged teeth bared at her. Snapping but not daring to move. Cuts lined the bear’s face, one eye cut and bleeding a deep black.

Crow had stopped attacking him. Coyotl was relenting. Though she loathed to do so, she retreated into her human skin, gaze raking across scales and flesh marred and battered into blood and gore. Black blood. Trickster blood.

“This is not the place for fights.” Flesh and scales became human and discreet, head twisting back into its humanoid form, sharp teeth still visible between battered and bloody brown flesh. “As much as I enjoy a good fight, we aren’t united for _us_.”

“So they can tear chunks of flesh off of me without punishment? If you wish for unity-”

“Threatening a sister is not the way to resolve this!” Sun Wukong spoke for the first time that night, a laugh just echoing with the words. The most outlandish of them all. The only one that never hid what he was. Couldn’t hide his form. The Monkey King, wearing his Form proud as could be. “Cagn made us to be a family. What would they say if they were here?” Coyote flinched when the rough fingers of the Monkey King brushed across battered and broken flesh. Healing her in a way most Tricksters couldn’t accomplish. Including her. Not without Gabriel. “They would mock us. Coyote’s identity hardly matters. It came from _them_. That power in her veins is just as strong as mine. Tricksters are different. We have _always_ been different. Fighting ourselves won’t take us a step closer to our maker.”

“Where do you have the right-”

“We all have the same right. It’s just a matter of taking it.” The Monkey King stepped forward, brushing against Veles’ side and healing him just as easily as he’d healed her. “If you want to keep hunting Cagn alone, go. No one has to be here. But this meeting is open to every being that houses the power of Cagn within them. Including her. None of us could be here if it wasn’t the case.”

“No Archangel could take a second Form like that.” Amarok spoke up from the far side of the room. Leaning against the wall since the table had been removed at some point during the scuffle. “They require humans to house them. The coyotes are as much our kin as the monkey. They will stay.”

“Then I will leave. I won’t allow a feathered mockery to sit in the home of Cagn and pretend he knows the best.”

“Then leave.” Kutkh spoke up, “No one is making you stay, Veles. Run like the coward you are. When we find Cagn, they will know you were too petty to help.”

“I hope they do. If they let an imposter join us to begin with, their judgement is far from what it should be. The angels slaughtered Gods in droves, yet they handed their power to one. Not once. But _twice_. It was foolish.” Flashing sharp teeth at her, hatred brewing deep in the pools of the other’s gaze, Veles disappeared from the room. Four others left after him. Set, Dolos, and Apate.

“How do you handle being a part of _Loki_?” Nanabozho asked her, tone less hateful and more perplexed from where she was pressed up against the far wall.

“With more ease than you’d think.” Coyote swallowed heavy, the room full and most eyes on her. The remainders of all of the Tricksters. The six separate Gods that made up the one known as Azeban were piled up in the far corner of the room, watching her with something close to empathy.

“Where is Loki?” Iktomi asked. Genuine curiosity lacing the last surviving spider’s words. _Anansi. I miss you._

“She’s with our Hunter. We agreed it was better if I was the one that came.”

“Bad blood is not welcome here. Which means Loki is. This is Cagn’s home.” Kutkh told her and she smiled graciously at him, pressing into Coyotl’s side when he moved next to her.

“Loki isn’t here because she’s guarding our Hunter. Considering the stunt that Lōpō pulled, we don’t feel particularly safe leaving him alone.”

“Cagn would always welcome someone that is under the protection of a Trickster.” Sun Wukong spoke before any of the others could comment on the relationship with a human. More specifically, a Hunter. There was a reason she kept the name quiet. “But if you don’t want them here, that’s your decision.”

“They will stay at home. Safe from the curious eyes of our companions.”

“Given the company, I don’t blame her. Can we please move along now?” Nanabozho spoke up.

Coyote looked back over as three sets of fingers snapped at once. A table manifesting again, piled high with sweets of all kinds. Coyote and Coyotl took seats on their own, Crow settling in beside them after a moment of quiet discussion with the Monkey King.

“Who was the last to see or speak with them?” Lugh asked around a mouthful of chocolate.

“We saw them a year and a half ago.” Coyote and Coyotl answered in unison.

“Ten months ago, we spoke with them.” One of the Azeban said.

“Nine months.” Amarok said quietly, “We played a trick on Thor and the World Serpent together.”

Interesting. Jöry usually told them when things like that happened. She had to wonder what the trick had entailed.

No one else said anything. “Nine months. If Cagn was a female, I’d suggest they’re pregnant.” Sun Wukong’s tone was light despite the tension radiating beneath it. “Coyote, have you spoken with the Norse recently?”

“Thor and us aren’t on speaking terms. We’ve been banished from the Æsir because we’re blamed for Odin’s death. Jöry still isn’t on the greatest of terms with his father. I can reach out to him but I don’t like the accusation that my child is responsible.”

“This isn’t about accusations. It’s about timing.” Iktomi spoke quickly. “Jörmungand was involved in the last time they were seen. That said. Amarok, what was the last thing you did with them?”

“After we finished what we were doing, we returned here and spent time in the garden to manifest our Forms for a short time. Then I returned home. The last place I saw them was here.”

“Where exactly?” Coyote asked, rising up, casting a look towards Crow before looking back at Iktomi.

“Why does it matter?”

“Because I’m dating a Hunter and one of the things he does best is research. If Cagn was here when they disappeared, it’s possible that something remains to signify it.”

Kutkh nodded his approval, Iktomi getting up slowly. Coyote followed him from the dining area, Crow on her heels and Sun Wukong bounding up to join them, tail coming out to smack the back of her head.

“Was that necessary?”

“I always thought humans should have tails.” Sun Wukong hummed, offering a chocolate drenched banana that she took after a moment of consideration. “Never quite went that direction, sadly.”

“And you never quite went our way.” She muttered, the Monkey shrugging his shoulders.

“I don’t see the point. Pretending to be them doesn’t make you one of them.”

“Says one who has never _been_ one.”

“Cagn can strand you powerless all they want. You aren’t human. You’re a God. One of the good ones, I may add.”

“Discounting everything I’ve ever done as Loki?”

“Loki is far from the monster others deem him as.”

“Her.”

“Her then. Through your shared identity, she has done as much good as you. As much as the others will discount it, she has done as much for this world as Gabriel. If the rumors tell an accurate tale, he is the one responsible for saving the world from the Judeo-Christian doomsday. If you are both him, how can any of you ever be a monster?”

Coyote wasn’t sure how to respond to that. It was a ridiculous concept coming from a Pagan. Blatantly embracing and accepting her angelic heritage.

“We have all done things that could be defined as evil. We aren’t meant to be good. We are neutral in the ever-shifting world.”

“With rivalries as deep as the oceans.”

“Not here. Not when we come together. Very few of us comprehend the close bonds we can create between each other. You are your pack are the greatest example of what can be when united properly.”

“Here.” Iktomi stopped at the edge of the garden, the entrance glimmering with bright green grass despite the landscape. Thick and gorgeous plantlife within it. Further down she could see the opening into the plains that eventually melded into the African wilds. An exit but never an entrance. Only a Trickster could come here.

“There’s blood.” Coyotl knelt down beside her, touching a dried patch of the black blood of a Trickster.

“Mine. I was careless when we were playing our trick and was bit.”

“What did you do?”

A very familiar smile played on Iktomi's face, all mischief and secrets.

“Where is the fun in sharing my secrets? Ask your son if you really want to know.”

She would talk to Jörmun. Later. Slowly she moved into the garden area, slipping into her smaller form to brush her nose against the ground, eyes raking the grass for other out of place things.

“Has anyone searched the entire pocket?”

“The parts we can access.” Iktomi confirmed, four paws landing behind her as Coyotl brushed against her hip. “We were thorough, Coyote.”

 _Not thorough enough_. She thought to herself when she poked her face into a heavier brush, just barely catching the scent of the blood.

A heavy scroll.

She retook her human form, grabbing the bloodied elephant hide and holding it up.

“That is Cagn's sigil.” Crow said when she rejoined their small party at the garden entrance, offering it to Sun Wukong. The Monkey took it, touching the outside of it with delicate fingers are he scanned the outer edges.

“This is written in a variant of Khoesān.”

“Can you read it?”

“It isn’t typically written in this style. I’m afraid African languages aren’t part of my practiced.”

“I may be able to.” She took it back from the Monkey King.

“You’re an American God.”

“And an angel as our friends inside keep reminding us.” She muttered, reaching inwards to brush against that third portion. Gabriel was blocking them, clear as day. It hurt on many levels but she could at least relish in the comfort of Loki's lifeline, sharp and hammering. Carefully, she pressed up against the link between herself and Gabriel until she was able to draw in a bit of Grace. It was cool, sharp but welcoming as she pulled in the power of her first part. It filtered across her vision and she was able to grab the word in front of her for what it was.

“Children.” She said, lifting her gaze to meet Coyotl then Crow’s. “It says children.”

“The note is for all of us.” Crow surmised, retrieving it from her hand.

“Why would Cagn leave a note for us in a language none of us can comprehend.”

Sun Wukong laughed, deep and heartful before grinning at Iktomi. “Because they’re not a fool. Due to their bargaining with Coyote, her identity is open to everyone. Her history isn’t a secret.”

Coyote peeled open the scroll while Sun Wukong spoke, mud brown eyes flicking across the page. The words that were no longer written in any Earth language but a language older than time itself. A language that nearly burned her eyes as she took in the essence of a time before Gods and monsters and beasts. A time that had no words, yet more than any modern mind could comprehend. Magic and energies dead to the world now. Chaos and starlight and endless oblivion etched into the hide of an earthly beast. The only grounding thing left being that tether of Grace clinging to her very soul. But not enough. Never enough. Too small. Too singular. Too-

 _“Coyote_.” The scroll was removed from her hands and she wiped at her eyes, blinking violently as she tried to focus on the world. On the entities before her. Darkness danced across her vision still, patterns and images she had no hope of understanding.

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

“Don’t look at it.” She choked out, rubbing at her eyes. Tears- or blood. It fell down her cheeks, without reserve. Her ability to comprehend her surroundings finally returned after what felt like years and when she did, she realized she wasn’t in the garden anymore.

She was in one of the bedrooms. Laying in a bed. It was soft and comfortable beneath her back. _Only the best_. She knew that any of the Tricksters in that building would say. “Coyote.”

“I- I know what they want.” She shivered, curling in on herself. “They won’t believe me.” Coyotl touched her face with a wet rag, pulling it away to reveal black. Blood. Her blood. It hadn’t been tears. Or maybe it had been both. “Don’t. Leave it.”

“What happened?” Crow asked softly from her side, touching her shoulder.

“Cagn’s biggest secret. A secret it took us becoming Three to know.” Coyote’s mind soared for a moment. Flashing with images she only barely comprehended.

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

_She was in the dining area again, standing above them all. Blood soaked her. She could feel it. Who it belonged to was another matter. A question without an answer. Everyone was staring at her, expecting- not confused. She stared down at her palms, at the body at her feet. Her stomach clenched violently at the five faces that stared up at her. Five dead at her feet._

_“Coyote.” Anansi breathed in her ear._

Then she was back in the room. No blood. No failure. Just the soft embrace of wings disguised as arms. Just on the side of human that grounded her, embraced her with warmth and companionship she had never deserved.

What had that scroll done to her? “Coyote. Do I need to take you home? You have to speak to me. I can’t read you. I don’t know what is happening in you.”

“No.” She shivered, tightening her grip on him. “Don’t. I have to do this. They must know.”

“Know what, Coyote? Talk to us, Coya.” Coyotl pressed against her side then, comfort and protectiveness bound into one of the tightest holds she could receive. Fear threatening its way into the very crevice of her soul. Alone without its Grace. Unfiltered and dangerous.

“What Cagn is.” _Who. A being without a name. One of the first. Missing. Gone. Cagn. A Trickster. **The** Trickster. _

“It’s okay.” Coyotl swore to her, “It will be okay, Coya.” It wouldn’t. Not with them gone. They would collapse into nothingness. “Things have been worse. Breathe.”

Carefully, she removed herself from their embraces, looking between the two people she trusted most in existence. No amount of Loki or Gabriel would ever change that. Could ever change that. Her family. Her pack. Hers to guard and protect. She would run before she ever failed them again. She would save them both.

 _Tricksters are different. Always have been._ Shivering, she closed her eyes and flashed herself into the dining area. Manifested standing in the middle of the table. Everyone shut up at her arrival, eyes widening and staring as they took her in. She had to wonder what they saw. She felt like she’d been trampled by a herd of bison.

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

“I saw something.” The words were ragged. Broken. She still didn’t understand, but she comprehended. Just enough. “Something that would burn any of you from your cores.”

Silence followed so she retrieved the scroll from nothingness, scanned the table. Soul after soul tracked her eyes, stared at them with something that made her fearful of what they may be seeing. _Windows_.

“This was left here. Left and addressed to us. All of us.” She turned the edge outwards, showed the single word that none of the others would be able to read. “Children. Their children. The Children of Trickery incarnate. _Cagn_ left this for us. But none of you can read it. No soul can see it. Souls can’t intake the information embedded within this without ultimately destroying it.”

The lack of mockery was what left her certain that something was _very_ wrong. “What does it say?” Amarok asked quietly, gaze settled firmly on her. Not the scroll.

“It tells Cagn’s final secret.” She said softly, kneeling down and sending away the cake that was in front of her. “What they were.”

“What they were?” Lugh asked. Coyotl had joined her side again, taking his coyote form to crawl into her lap. Crow rested on her shoulder, feathers brushing softly against her face.

“Much like all of us, Cagn is nothing like the other Gods. They are nothing like the first Gods. They were never born from the magics coating the planet. They didn’t simply come into being with the birth of this planet like most of the others. There was no soul to draw on magic because that magic comes from something older. From a time before souls or anything resembling life.

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

“There was nothing when they came into being. Then there were five. Light, Dark, Life, Death… they never had a word for what they were. Cagn didn’t take a name until the humans of this world gave them one. They are an essence of the beginning of everything.”

“I don’t believe you.” Someone muttered softly and Coyote ignored it. Not believing the lie. They did believe her. Whatever was wrong with her eyes made them believe her completely.

“They wrote this in a language only one person here could decipher because they didn’t want to hurt any of you. They didn’t want the language of creation to destroy their children because that is the amount that they love us.”

“She speaks the truth.” Sun Wukong spoke softly, oddly passive. “I have known for as long as I have been.”

“We aren’t like them.” Nanabozho said softly. “We aren’t children of some false God-”

“Cagn isn’t God. I didn’t _call_ them God. I called them one of the first Primordials. God abandoned his children. He is an uncaring pile of trash and if I had the chance I would end him.”

It threw her just how much she meant that. How much the residual of Gabriel’s ties to her _agreed_ with the statement. Their Father. Their Creator. Yet Gabriel was just as content with the premise of killing him as Loki and her.

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

“He created part of you.”

“Then He abandoned us.”

“And how do we know Cagn hasn’t left us?” Kokopelli asked warily. Not accusing. Just worried. “What if they’re revealing this now because they are never returning?”

“Because Cagn would never do that.” She said, more certain than she had ever been in her existence. “If they were going to leave, they would tell us.”

“So, if they didn’t leave… why did they leave a note?”

“I think we’re missing the point.” Lugh spoke thoughtfully. “The question isn’t why. The answer is obvious. It was a precaution should something happen. The question is _how_. If Cagn is what the coyote and Monkey King claim them to be, which I do believe. There are only four other entities in existence that can match them in power.”

“God is gone. The Darkness is imprisoned.” Coyote said quietly.

“Life and Death rarely meddle in the affairs of mortals.” Kutkh added.

 _One. Two. Three. Four. Five._ The numbers hadn’t stopped. Pressing insistently at her. Like she was missing something. An insistent _listen_. But she heard them. They were a loop. Nonstop. She heard them.

“Coyote.” Sun Wukong said softly and she blinked, turned her focus to him. “With what you know. Are you certain that Darkness remains imprisoned?”

“If she was free… we would know it.” The world would be doomed. Every ounce of creation and beyond. The Darkness would be furious and would never stop until it found the Light.

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

“Consider for a moment that this is true.” Nanabozho said quietly, looking between them with clear distrust. “There were rumors that Creating weakened the Yahweh. Could empowering us have weakened Cagn?”

“If you’re right, depending on how much weaker they are… it broadens the spectrum.”

“To anyone that would potentially have a problem with us. Any of us.”

“The scroll.” Sun Wukong said, shifting from one foot to the next. “They left a scroll for us. It means they at least had an idea something may happen.”

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

“Six.”

“What?” She looked down at Coyotl who hadn’t moved his head.

“Six.” He repeated, “The number on the front of the scroll.”

She picked it up from where it had been discarded in front of her.

She didn’t see a six.

“You see a six?”

“You don’t?” She turned it over, checking over every outer bit. All she saw was the word. Children.

Six children, possibly. Or six scrolls.

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

Six. But there weren’t six. Not of those. She had just enough recollection of Gabriel’s memories to know. Life and death. Light and dark. The nameless fifth.

_The Trickster._

There was never a sixth.

“How many Tricksters are dead?” Kutkh asked, thoughtful.

“Tricksters imbued with Cagn’s magic?” Crow returned to his human form, seating himself on the edge if the table. “It was four starting with Anansi.”

“I died.” Coyote reminded them, swallowing at the bitter reminder of Anansi.

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

“Loki and I would have been five and six. We are separate entities as far as magic stands, even when we’re One.”

“I was thinking currently dead.” Kutkh admitted apologetically.

“Even if it’s not current dead. That number is still six.”

“What numeric symbol is your six in, Coyo?”

“The numbers your Americans would use. They also appear to be digital. As though they belong within a clock.” She ran her fingers through the fur on the back of his neck, considering that.

“I don’t understand.” She admitted, looking at the outside of it. Not risking opening it.

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

“Six could be for them. What if the six represents their death?” Kutkh interjected.

“That would remove our deaths.”

“Unless it counts as one. Not two.”

“That’s assuming this has to do with death.” Sun Wukong reminded them. “We have no reason to believe that it’s the case.”

“We should check the premises again.” Crow agreed after a moment. “There may be five other ones we have yet to find.” It didn’t sound like Crow bought that premise in the least but they were all desperate enough to agree with it.

Because Cagn couldn’t be dead. They wouldn’t let them. As she raked her gaze across all of the other Tricksters in the room, she knew that no matter how much vengeance and hatred might exist between any of them, they would never let Cagn die. Death would have to take them all first.

One by one, everyone filed out of the room until four of them were left. Kutkh touched her shoulder and met her gaze. “You are one of us. I saw what you went through. Cagn wouldn’t have spent that time on someone they didn’t care for.”

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

Swallowing, she nodded, flinching when he set a mirror in front of her.

“Things will be okay, little one.” Kutkh said softly before taking off, wings fluttering as he disappeared down a hallway.

Little one. Younger than Kutkh as far as Trickster deities went. Being one of the younger ones. It almost made her laugh out loud. Except the intense cloud of dread that had been brewing ever since she appeared in the room was getting worse.

“You’re okay, Coyote. You’re here.” She shook her head, reaching down and picking up the mirror slowly.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw her own eyes. The amber shades she had had since they first ever took a vessel were gone. The color of her _soul_ was gone. Replaced instead by smokey grey irises.

 _My soul_.

 _‘Gabriel. If you can hear me. If you give a single_ damn _about yourself. Tell me you can hear me.’_

Silence followed for a long moment. A silence heavier than the world itself. Then a quiet, _‘I’m here.’_

_‘What color are your eyes?’_

Another stretch of silence. Long. But not long enough. _‘The same as they have been since this began. Are you okay?’_ Swallowing, she internally curled in on herself. _‘You feel- wrong. Coyote?’_

 _‘Give Loki hers back. Now._ ’ With that, she severed the connection, throwing up a wall against the both of them before rising to her feet. Coyotl fell from her lap at the sudden motion.

“You’re okay.”

“No, I’m not.” She answered softly, curling her fingers around the scroll. When had she picked it up?

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

“None of us are.”

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

“We’re dying.”

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

“If we don’t find Cagn. We will all die.”

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

Six.

“We’ll find them, Coyote. You can’t just-”

“They aren’t here. They’re not on Earth or in Heaven or Hell or any of the other lives.”

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

Six.

“Everyone has a balance. Life. Death. Light. Dark. Chaos. _Order_.”

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

_Six._

“There were six. Not five.”

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six._

She was certain. More certain than she had ever been about anything in her existence. Six. Six Primordials.

“You said five.”

“I _know_ what I said, _Coyotl_.” She snapped, latching onto the strange energies that clung to her skin.

With a flash of grey energy, she disappeared.


	7. Gabriel and The Lake of Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel and the Devil make their way into Hell to talk to Lucifer and Michael.

**.-~*~-.**  
GABRIEL  
***~-.-~***

Gabriel pressed insistently at the connection between himself and Coyote but wasn’t able to reach her again. There was an emptiness clinging to the connection. A thrumming coldness that had clung to her very core. Something older than anything on Earth anymore. Except-

 _Cagn_.

“Lōpō, I need to get to Loki-”

“No.” The Devil gave him a hard look, shoving the torch he had in hand into one of the empty wall sconces. “We have to finish this.”

“Let me ask Abigail to-”

“Do you truly trust a cambion to not deceive you if it’s failing to guard the single most important asset in Hell? We keep going forward.” The brimstone halls were empty. No one came into this area. It was too close to The Cage. Radiating the constant aura of Archangels. Their anger. Their pain. Ever since Cagn disappeared, the only guards had been the ones that Abigail had been able to spare. “You can’t let your other parts distract you.”

Gabriel pressed his hand against his pocket, touching the warmth of Loki’s soul through the solid wall of glass that guarded it. He hated that they didn’t understand. That they didn’t trust his judgement. If anyone understood, it _should_ have been his other two portions.

But Coyote. Something was wrong. Severely wrong.

“ _Gabriel_.”

“Something’s wrong with Coyote. I need to return Loki’s soul-”

“Something is wrong with me as well, Gabriel. You can go back to your other pieces when we’re done. Mine rots in The Cage that your boyfriend shoved him in.” Lōpō responded bitterly, angrily.

“You could go back. Just say the words and I’d gladly shove you back in.” Gabriel glared at the back of the Devil’s skull while he retook the sconce from the wall.

“I will die before ever returning to that place. I know you talk to your brother. If it was in your power, you would risk the entire planet to rescue him from that place.”

“I died to make sure that the Earth was safe from them.”

“And the part of you that made you _die_ for that cause is up on Earth drinking martinis with your boyfriend.”

 _No._ He knew he should say, _She’s looking for Cagn. Like I should be._ Yet, he didn’t. He didn’t want to argue because he wasn’t sure he wanted to know what his own answer actually would be. Not when it had already been established what felt like a lifetime ago that Coyote’s influence was the only reason they’d stood up for humanity.

“I’ll be honest. If it was either of the other two, I would be at a disadvantage. But you and Lucifer were two peas in a pod at one time.”

“You know nothing about me, Lōpō.”

“Does it bother you? Calling me by a name that is all but a mockery of everything you strived for?”

“I didn’t strive for _anything_. I’m calling you Lōpō because right now, you _are_ him.”

“And it’s easier than calling me Devil or Lucifer.” Gabriel didn’t dignify it with an answer. “I didn’t torture your hunter. Torture isn’t really my game. I prefer watching people twist and corrupt themselves until there’s nothing left of who had once been. Believe it or not, I _do_ like Sam. Even Lucifer respects him. Maybe hates his guts, but he respects him.”

“Stop talking about him.” Gabriel muttered. “I don’t want you to say his name here. Never again.”

“Fine. We’ll walk in a mopey silence. I remember you being more fun.”

“There was never fun for us. There was work. Constant and unrelenting _work_.”

“Not when it came to Michael. You _always_ had time for Michael. Don’t think we didn’t see you sneak off. The Good Son disregarding all of Father’s orders to play with the youngest son.”

“What happened between Michael and I was between us. If it was a sin, Father would have punished us both for it. _Especially_ back then.”

“When you left them, did it hurt?”

Gabriel stared at the stones on the floor, stomach curling uncomfortably. “No.”

“Either you’re lying to me, or you really mean that. I thought you loved him.”

“We didn’t love. We _can’t_ love. Not in the way that we should be able to. Not in the way Father wanted us to. If we could love, you wouldn’t exist. Lucifer never would have Fallen.”

“Based off of that logic, you don’t love your hunter.”

Gabriel closed his eyes, stopped in his steps. “I’m not just an angel.”

“You are, though. Right now.” Lōpō turned, met his gaze. A smile played on his lips, taunting. Mocking. “If you didn’t love Michael, which I don’t believe for a second, you can’t possibly love that hunter you are so protective of. Though, you are also here with me. Leaving him exposed. Trusting part of the very creature that tortured him until he lost his mind.”

“Am I wrong to trust you?” Gabriel’s eyes snapped open, eyes glowing bright with grace. Threatening.

“No.” Lōpō held his gaze. “You aren’t. But I don’t need a distracted ally down here. I need to know that, when we get to The Cage. If things aren’t as good as you’ve been left to assume, that you won’t freak out. That you won’t abandon me. We are a team, Gabriel. Not brothers, which would be far easier to get through your skull, but a team. Michael -whether you love him, loved him- is going to stay in The Cage at all costs. Lucifer is going to stay.”

A sinking suspicion that the Devil knew more than he was saying wriggled into the back of his mind. “What happened?”

“I don’t-”

“You haven’t been on the Earth for years, have you? You were in The Cage. Trapped with Lucifer. How long have you been on Earth? _What_ happened to The Cage?”

A hundred walls went up over Lōpō’s expression, precise and secluding. Telling as all hell. “Do I need to call you Lucifer or are you going to answer the question?”

“Ten months ago… The Cage cracked. Not enough for Michael or Lucifer to breach it. Not on their own. Gabriel-”

“Does Abigail know?”

“Not that I know of.” Lōpō admitted, averting his gaze. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you. They made me swear not to tell anyone but- well, I’ve run out of ideas.”

“Why did they send you to Earth?”

“To find any indications the Darkness is free.”

“It can’t be free. It couldn’t have broken free without us _knowing_.” But Michael and Lucifer both thought she may have been freed. _They_. Michael and Lucifer _both_ knew. “Why are we here, _Lucifer_?”

The Devil bared his teeth at that, rolling his shoulders. “Because I don’t want Abigail to know her precious cargo is compromised. I can’t come down here on my own.”

“But I have a free pass with passengers. You used me to get into Hell.”

“I did what I had to. Just like you would’ve done if it was either of your other thirds.”

“How much of Lucifer are you?”

The Devil stepped back when he saw the Archangel blade appear in Gabriel’s hand.

“As much as Coyote or Loki are Gabriel. We were divided again when we went into The Cage. Our guess is that it was caused by the trauma. I didn’t partake in torture.” He spread his arms to the side, “I don’t want to fight you.”

“No, you don’t want me to kill you.”

“We’ve killed you before. I _have_ his blade. I don’t want to fight you, but I can. I _will_. Don’t make me do that. There are bigger problems than this.”

“Why didn’t Michael tell me?”

“You’ll have to ask him. We need to move, though.” Gabriel reluctantly sheathed his blade, trailing after the Devil. Wings twitching anxiously behind him. If this was true. If they’d sent the Devil out to find the Darkness, there was a reason for it. But it didn’t make sense that _Gabriel_ didn’t know. He would’ve sensed it as well.

And why did they only _think_ the Darkness was free? They should know the answer. It was a yes or no.

“The Darkness is one of four things powerful enough to break The Cage.” The Devil said quietly.

_Five._

“God is gone. Life and Death very rarely meddle in the affairs of Earth. The Darkness is the only thing left that could have damaged The Cage.”

“Five things.” Gabriel corrected, “Lucifer knows that there were more. Michael knows that.”

“The last is dead. It faded when Creation started.”

 _No. It became Cagn._ Gabriel didn’t say it, though. Because that wasn’t his secret to share.

 _‘Six. Not five.’_ That was Coyote, voice soft. ‘ _There were six. Come home, Gabriel.’_

_‘Are you there?’_

_‘No… But I will be. Sooner or later, I will be. Come back and bring Loki her soul. Please. Your brothers aren’t going to help us.’_

_‘Our brothers.’_ Something about the way she said that bothered him. And the connection was still cold. Still icy to the touch. Older than time. He couldn’t reach through, could only accept the communication. Whatever was going through her head was hidden behind walls that shouldn’t exist.

_‘I’m serious, Gabriel. Come home. You can’t trust him.’_

_‘What if he’s telling the truth? Michael and Lucifer still want to kill each other. If they get free, the world is doomed.’_

_‘You don’t sound as disappointed as you should.’_

_‘And you don’t sound like you give a damn about my fate right now. What happened to you? ‘_

_‘Nothing. I’m- five. Fine. I’m fine.’_ She wasn’t okay. There was something seriously wrong with her. But he could sense The Cage now, sharp and looming. Closer than it had been in weeks. Michael was in there. Lucifer was in there. Nothing separating the two. No careful preparations made by Abigail to protect him from his killer. ‘ _Gabe, please.’_

_‘I’ll come home after we finish here. I promise. Tell Loki that I don’t trust the Devil. Make sure he knows that.’_

_‘If you’re going to insist on this- ask them about six. Ask them why Cagn would make me count to six.’_

That was one of the weirdest questions he’d ever heard, but he took note of it. Coyote wasn’t giving up information on where she was, where she’d been. She was being careful. Like she didn’t trust him with the information. What was wrong with her? What had happened?

_‘Go home, Coyote. I’ll be there soon.’_

_‘Make sure you make it home soon, Gabe. Be sure to get home.’_ The connection disappeared again. Like it hadn’t been there moments before. One of Three. What were they if they weren’t together, though?

“We’re here.” The Devil said softly, touching a large stone wall that had seemingly appeared in front of them. “You have to move it.”

“You can’t?”

“I’m not a creature of Heaven or Hell. I’m Pagan essence. Why do you think I needed help? I _hate_ fighting. Dragging you into this was a major risk.”

Gabriel sighed deeply, stepping forward and pressing his palm against the wall. It reached out for him, latching onto his Grace and drawing against it for a moment. Then it receded, boulder fading into nothingness and revealing the large, empty field before them. Lightning cracked violently, The Cage floating in the distance merely a physical manifestation of the actual prison that held both of his brothers. Lōpō and him walked for a while east before Gabriel stopped, kneeling down and brushing away ash from the sigilwork that Abigail had worked into the ground when he first started visiting his brother.

“Do you know how to use it?”

“It’s just summoning. I have to call them both, don’t I?”

“I would prefer to see Lucifer.” Lōpō answered and he nodded slowly, spreading his wings wide. Flapping them once. Twice. Ash and soot flew up and away, revealing a large square outlined with even more intricate sigils and markings. Some of the most carefully concocted warding in existence.

“Then you will see him.” Gabriel folded his wings in, taking one of the flight feathers from his wing with a pained wince and flooding it with his grace. It glowed bright, blue glimmering with silver. Carefully, he ran the other end across his arm, blood welling up and covering the smooth feather as it moved across his skin.

“Come to me.” Gabriel whispered in Enochian. “Brothers of mine, come to me. Come forward. Come now.” He rested the feather into the slot in the floor, stepping back as crackling barriers manifested. Bright, glowing, walls of divine energy. Flying up through the ground, one after the other. As they flew into existence two other beings began to manifest in the middle.

Michael was at the edge in a moment, touching against the divine bars and holding his gaze. “Gabriel.”

“Hey, Mikey.” Gabriel didn’t move forward. Didn’t give into the temptation to reach out for the contact with his oldest sibling. His favorite.

“What did you do?” Lucifer moved towards the edge, gaze firmly planted on Lōpō.

“What I had to. I’m not an angel, Lucifer! I can’t fly, I can barely teleport. I can’t rake every inch of the planet and you told me to keep the single most useful asset out of it.”

Gabriel turned his focus on Michael, tuning out Lucifer and Lōpō as they began to bicker. He approached the edge carefully, resting his palm against the wall. “Michael, what happened?”

“I didn’t want to worry you. Lucifer didn’t want the Winchesters screwing things up.”

“That’s crap, Michael. You think the _Darkness_ escaped and didn’t think I might deserve to know?”

“Gabriel...” Michael moved backwards and Gabriel followed slowly around the edge of the prison, relaxing at the space between them and Lucifer. “I planned to tell you. Then you told me about your personalities. The stress was unnecessary when you were barely holding yourself together.” Michael’s wings curled forward to rest against the bars. A quiet plea.

He couldn’t. Not now. “You betrayed my trust. You didn’t tell me The Cage was damaged, you didn’t tell me that the _Devil_ was on Earth. I believed you, Michael. I believed you were beginning to understand your mistakes.”

“I have never been human and I never _will_ be, Gabriel. I will never have a revolutionary moment where it all becomes clear. I still believe Father’s plan was the right one. I still think that Lucifer’s death is the only way this can end. You can’t tell me for a moment that you believe that my Vessel’s form of ‘peace’ will ever be the end. Sooner or later, the Apocalypse will come to you.”

“No. I won’t watch my brothers kill each other. Not if I can prevent it.” Gabriel held those blue eyes, refused to acknowledge the spread of wings. The display of comfort and power that he hadn’t felt in years. “And you will never get out.”

“You know that’s not true.”

“I know that Heaven is running itself now. No one wants an Archangel in charge.”

“You’re wrong, Gabriel.” He stepped back, head snapping to the right when Lucifer emerged from behind Michael’s wing. “I hate Dad as much as the next, but sooner or later Michael’s going to kill me. Or I’ll kill him. You’re only prolonging the inevitable.”

“You killed me. An Archangel already died during the Apocalypse. No more blood will be shed for Dad’s Word. Screw him and screw you.” Realization at the distraction struck and he shook his head, grinding his teeth together. “Why didn’t you tell me about the Darkness?”

“Winchesters screw everything up and you’re screwing one. It’s really simple, Gabriel. My unfortunate second portion thinks I’m an idiot, but I’m right. Winchesters screw everything up.”

“I don’t think you’re in a position to judge them.” They were trying to distract him from the situation. From the Darkness and Gabriel quickly grasped why. The Cage. It _was_ damaged.

“Gabriel, don’t.”

“Why shouldn’t I? The moment you touch the Earth you’ll lay it flat. You don’t give a _damn_ about Dad’s Creation! You will-” His heart jumped in his throat, wings flaring wide but not moving as the sharp blade of an Archangel pressed into the center of his back.

Lucifer’s mouth curled up and Michael averted his gaze.

“No tricks today. You aren’t tainted and corrupted by Pagan filth right now.”

“Please, don’t.” Gabriel whispered softly, eyes shutting. Hazel eyes stared at him through the darkness that snuck in, kind and forgiving. Too forgiving.

“We won’t fight if we break it. Not if she’s there. The Darkness will destroy everything.” Michael spoke softly.

“Traitor.” Gabriel shifted, flinched as he felt Grace begin to trickle from the wound. Lucifer’s blade held in place by Lōpō’s hand.

“No, he just sees reason now. I don’t want to kill you again, little brother. But I will if you stand in my way.”

“He’s already a liability.” The Devil spoke from behind him, fingers wrapping around his shoulder. Digging in. “The moment the brothers know, they won’t stop until The Cage is secured again.”

“Lucifer, we can’t.”

“Gabriel, swear to us you won’t say a word. Swear on the sanctity of _Sam_ _Winchester’s_ soul that they will hear nothing about The Cage from you.”

 _‘Make the promise.’_ Coyote cut in, sudden and panicked. ‘ _Make the promise and get the hell out. Tell them the sixth is here.’_ A scream tore across the connection, sharp and excruciating pain snapping across like a rubber band. Then it was gone.

_‘Coyote?!’_

“I swear it! Damn it, I _swear._ Let me go! Now!”

“Gabriel?”

He ignored the concern in Michael’s tone. It didn’t mean a damn. All he cared about the moment the blade disappeared was escaping. Wings stretched far and wide as he cut through the air. Fast. Faster.

He didn’t stand a chance. The ground soared towards him when something _cracked._ A scream tearing from his entire form. Sharp. Sudden. A hundred different emotions too quick for him to decipher. Teeth and claws cutting through fur and skin. A cry of pain.

An apology.

Something unnatural wretched through his form. Puncturing his deepest core. Every inch of him seemed to ignite before dying out in a blaze of smoke. Silence.

_Emptiness._

_Two._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I forgot to post yesterday! I totally spaced and didn't remember until I shut my computer off. It's here now. Hehe.


	8. Sam and The Damaged Lovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and the rest of their family try to deal with what happened.

**.-~*~-.  
** SAM  
 ***~-.-~***

He didn’t know what to do. One moment, he was being spooned by Loki, half awake. The next Loki was having what looked like a seizure, freaking out. Screaming bloody murder. No matter what he’d done, he hadn’t been able to make her stop. It had taken a solid ten minutes for the convolutions to turn to ragged and violent shaking. It had taken everything for him not to call an ambulance for her. Kali's mention of the Three not really ever being fully human being his only stopper. But sitting there, watching her twist and turn in their bed, he really started to regret it. He was worried that she was dying.

“I don’t know what to do.” Sam swallowed heavily when Dean approached his sister’s bedside, Cas trailing close behind. They had left the Impala behind. Cas couldn’t move it and Dean had been too concerned to drive. They would need to get her soon.

“He’s catatonic.”

“She.” Sam corrected. Because Loki was weird about her pronouns. She’d told him that she was a she now. Not a he anymore.

“Her mind is barring me. I can’t access it.” Castiel said quietly. “She may-”

“Don’t.” Dean warned Cas, voice sharp and dangerous. “Don’t you dare.”

“We need to find Gabriel.” Castiel said carefully, lifting himself from the bed.

“He didn’t tell anyone where he went.”

“Perhaps-” Cas was abruptly cut off when Kali appeared. Her entire body was blood soaked, dirt and ash and soot crossing over every inch of her skin-

As well as the body draped over her shoulder. _Gabriel_. He knew without any indications. Not Coyote who had left in their male body. Gabriel was coated in a mixture of things worse than just the blood and ash on Kali. Blood, dirt, grass, melted plastic was battered into his clothes and hair.

“Gabe.”

Kali was careful when she carried him to the bed, Sam shaking it off to help her nestle the Archangel in next to Loki. The first movement came from Loki when she shifted around, wrapping herself around Gabriel. Arms and legs wrapping around him like she was trying to crawl inside of him. They were both shaking, violent shudders ripping across their connected forms.

“Kali, what the hell happened?” Sam settled into the mattress, resting his hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. His other hand wrapping around Loki’s wrist. They were both unresponsive. No indication either had noticed him touching them.

“Gabriel… crashed. Loki asked me to follow him and I did. As much as I could. Except when he went to Hell. I followed him when he left, though. And… midflight something happened. He hit the first thing in his path.”

“What was it?” Dean demanded and Kali muttered something soft. It could’ve been a prayer. Something in what he could only guess to be some Hindu language.

“A park. He nearly killed me alongside the many others that were there. His screams deafened part of the city. I told his children to play cleanup, so Hela and her brother are there.”

“Do you know where Coyote is?” Sam asked quietly, moving his hand to touch Loki’s shoulder instead.

“I haven’t been able to track her since she left.”

“And you won’t.” Crow's voice was rough when he appeared, layers of emotion he could never comprehend resting in each word. “Coyote is dead.”

“No.” Sam said quietly, shifting around. Moving to thread his fingers through Loki’s instead. Despite everything, she was open to the contact. Not responsive but not too tense that he couldn’t do it.

“Coyotl and I felt it like a thousand flames.”

“She can’t- why are they still here? What kind of hell is that where she can die but they… you _can’t_ be right. They would _all_ die. That’s how it works, isn’t it? Did we not establish this?”

“I can’t be, but I am.”

“Crow,” Castiel said quietly. “Come with me.” Sam didn’t bother to look up. They didn’t matter for the moment. Hurting. Gabriel and Loki were hurting and Coyote-

No. She couldn’t be dead. If one died, they all died. That was the rule. _Or what we wanted to believe._

“-space.” Kali’s voice whispered from behind him before she joined him on the bed. “I’m sorry, Sam. I-”

“They can’t be alive if she’s gone… right?”

“There’s no guarantee that that is true, Sam. Loki and Gabriel could potentially survive without her but whatever remains is going to be- damaged.” He barely noticed when the mess on both her and Gabriel dried up, flaking off and disappearing. Leaving them clean… for the most part.

“Can you see them? Inside of them?”

Kali reached between them, taking Gabriel’s hand and turning it over with little resistance. He looked up when cool glass touched his skin. A vial filled with what could only be a soul. Not glowing white like a human but a dull grey, resting against the bottom like a liquid.

“This is Loki’s soul, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“It’s…”

“Not dead. Drained.” She quickly said before he could say anything. It wasn’t soothing, but it was helpful. Drained meant there was hope. “If things don’t get better for them within the next few months, Crow or I will travel into their minds to see what is happening.”

“Months.”

“She’s been through worse, Sam. Loki is resilient. Gabriel is resilient. The fact that they are still with us proves that fact.”

“I know they’re resilient. Resilience and mental trauma can only go so damned far, though.”

“It’s different for non-humans.”

“Loki _is_ human right now. That’s why I’m worried. Because no matter how damned established she is as a God, how much she’s handled like _that_. She’s still a baby when it comes to humans and how our brains fire off signals. Even if _Gabriel_ can deal with it. How’s Loki going to come out of it in tact?”

“Because she’s stronger than we give her credit for.”

“I hope you’re right.” Sam rested the vial next to the bed as he got off the side of it, looking across the shaking forms of the two. “What was Gabriel doing in Hell?”

“I don’t know.” Kali admitted, “I couldn’t follow them in but I know that they went to Hell.”

“Abigail wasn’t involved which means that the Devil wanted it kept quiet.” Sam said absently.

“Sam,” Kali touched his shoulder. “Coyote was nowhere near him. I would love to blame Lucifer as well but Coyote was _not_ there.”

_Knock, knock, knock._

“What?” He asked, looking towards the door to see Coyotl and Crow moving through the doorway. Coyotl's head was bowed, eyes rimmed red. Crow's gaze firmly planted on the two forms on the bed.

“Where was she?”

“I don’t know.” Crow said quietly, “Can we speak in private?”

“I will watch them, Sam.”

After one final, lingering look at them he nodded reluctantly and followed Crow from the room, Coyotl staying behind.

“What?” He said quietly, following Crow out the back door. “What in _the hell_ happened, Crow?”

“Cagn.”

“I need more than that, Crow. A _whole_ lot more than that. Cagn’s missing- unless they showed their damned face to kill her. In which case I’ll find them and rip them apart.”

“Did she tell you where she was going?”

“She said Sun Wukong was organizing something.”

“Yes. He was. A meeting between every living Trickster. Most of us were there. Some left because they refused to acknowledge Coyote as one of us.”

“Who were they?”

“Say as you will about them, Sam. Tricksters cannot kill Tricksters. Tricksters cannot kill _themselves_. Not even when they are under the assumption that she is still an Archangel.” Even if they thought she was an Archangel, it would be a bigger barricade in trying to kill her than her just being a Trickster. And Crow didn’t lie. “While we were there,” Crow continued, “Coyote found something. A… scroll. It was written in a language only she could read and when she opened it- well, it damaged her. Her soul became something else. I don’t think she even realized just how much damage she took from the few seconds she looked at it.”

“Is that what-”

“No. She was still alive. Coyote left Cagn’s breathing. I assumed she was going home but she didn’t.”

“I’m guessing you have a theory.”

“She was counting. I’m pretty sure she didn’t realize it, but she was counting. Quietly. So quiet that I don’t believe the others heard. From the moment she saw that scroll she kept counting.”

“Counting?”

“To six. She kept counting to six and she was connecting five with the Primordials.”

“What’s it mean?”

“I’m unsure.” Crow admitted, sounding uncharacteristically fearful. “Any other time, I understand her just as well as I understand myself. I can read her near perfectly. But from the moment she opened that scroll, she was gone. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought she wasn’t there.”

“Then how are you so certain she’s dead? How can you-”

“Because we _felt_ it. Absence and death are two entirely different things and when one Trickster dies, the rest feel it. It isn’t a secret. We all knew when they died in the Elysian Fields. _That’s_ how we know. Because it hurts us all.”

“I’m sorry.” Sam’s voice wavered. “I just… don’t wanna believe it.”

“I don’t either. What’s important now, though… is staying close to them.”

“Do you think they’ll recover?”

“Yes. I have no doubt that they will because as I have told them many times before, they are the same person I have known for hundreds of years. Losing one part will never destroy them.”

“But?”

“But… due to the way that Cagn split their minds. I don’t think they’ll remember being Coyote when they do recover.”

Which he’d suspected as well. It wasn’t surprising in the least. But it didn’t change how much the confirmation killed him. The settling and sinking feeling that Coyote was _gone_. “There has to be a way to get her back.”

“Without Gabriel, she most likely would have gone where all Tricksters go in death.”

“Which is?”

“Back to where she began.”

“Cagn.” Sam realized. “Tricksters go to Cagn.”

“Yes. She is with them again. Assuming they’re alive. If that’s not the case, then she may have gone to Purgatory like all other Gods.”

“Do you think Cagn is dead?”

“No. I am sure that they’re alive. The others aren’t as optimistic.”

“If she was in Purgatory, we could go in. Bring her out. There’s _always_ an answer. Dean and I have died more times than I can count. Kali was dead-”

“Resurrection always has a price. If you go down that road, Sam… be aware of the potential backlash. I won’t stop you. I would help you if you found a way. But we don’t know what repercussions may come.”

“We can’t just leave her dead.”

“We can’t, or you can’t? I know you love them, Sam. I see that. But trying to save her in this case could completely destroy all three of them. Is that a price you’re willing to pay?”

No. It wasn’t. Not if Crow was right. Not if it would destroy Loki and Gabriel. Losing one of them was bad. All three would be an entirely different thing. He couldn’t do that to them. He wouldn’t.

Which meant they had to leave it. Until they were certain that Gabriel and Loki wouldn’t recover. They had to leave it.

 **.-~*~-.  
** SAM  
 ***~-.-~***

It took around six hours for Dean to knock on the door. An already open beer bottle in each hand when he came through the door. Sam was pressed against the wall with Lord of The Rings propped open on his leg.

“Reading to them?” Dean asked, crossing the room and seating himself on the edge of the mattress.

“Crow said not to leave them alone.” He nodded towards the corner of the room where Coyotl was curled up in a ball as an actual coyote. It was so rare that he ever shapeshifted. Coyote had said they didn’t like risking it in the modern world because of hunters.

Shaking his head, he looked away from Coyotl and reached out for the beer.

“It’s not beer.” Dean warned him as Sam tilted it back to down it. Whiskey. It was definitely what he needed at the moment. “So how’re we going to save her, Sam? There’s gotta be a way.”

“We can’t.” He stared at the pages.

“Sam-”

“Crow thinks it’ll end bad for Loki and Gabe. We can’t risk them too. We can’t.”

“You’re sure?” Sam nodded slowly and Dean muttered something under his breath, “Fine. But, Sam- we’re gonna keep lookin’. Cagn’s supposed to be some super powered God. They broke them up. Stands to reason they can put them back together.”

“I know. I’ve been thinking about that too.” Sam admitted. “But they’re missing and not a single damned person has been able to reach them.” Sam touched Loki’s back almost absently, running his fingers over the eternally darkened flesh that signified an angel’s wings. Marks that had once been dark and angry bruises. Gabriel had called them soul scars. Things that would manifest on their body for the rest of time, no matter the form they were in.

“You think they pulled a God?”

“No.” Sam answered surely. Positive. Cagn wasn’t like God.

“Then they’re out there somewhere to fix him. We’ll save them.”

“I know.” He downed the rest of the drink. “I know, Dean. We’ll save them. But first we have to make sure Loki and Gabe recover. We can’t save all three when two are catatonic.”

“You’re right- I’m just… they’re my brother-sister too. Sittin’ here, watchin’ them- it’s not… instincts are screaming at me to do something. To _save them_.”

“Loki would taunt you relentlessly.” Sam chuckled, shaking his head.

“She doesn’t get the whole family thing. Not really.”

“Yeah, she does, Dean. She’s just really insistent on pretending she doesn’t. They love using the three-in-one as an excuse to blame the others.”

“Alright well- I’m gonna go out there. Check on Krypto and Cas.”

“Krypto’s under the bed.” He’d been there since Sam came back inside. Eyes peeking out from under the frame, watching and waiting for anything that might be a threat to Gabriel. “But yeah. I’m sure Cas needs support. Gabe was his heavenly lifeline down here.” Cas was probably with Crow somewhere. Sam didn’t think for a second that Dean was planning to talk to Cas. But his brother had his own way of coping that needed quiet. Privacy.

 _Kali, please watch Dean. Make sure he doesn’t try to sell his soul. If he does, beat the ever-living crap out of him._ The prayer was sent quickly from the back of his mind as he looked back down at the book.

“Alright. You need anything else?”

“I’ll be fine. Loki has a stash of ale somewhere in here.”

“Okay.”

Coyotl lifted his head as Dean walked out of the room. Watched him go.

 _Should I follow him?_ Coyotl asked in his mind.

“No. I’ll drag him somewhere tomorrow. Help clear his head.” Coyotl nodded his head and rested it back on his paws, closing his eyes.

After resituating himself, Sam looked back down at the book to find where he’d left off. “ _After the feast (more or less) came the Speech. Most of the company were, however, now in a tolerant mood, at that delightful stage which they called ‘filling up the corners’. They were sipping their favourite drinks, and nibbling at their favourite dainties, and their fears were forgotten…_ ”

 **.-~*~-.  
** SAM  
 ***~-.-~***

Two weeks later, Sam convinced Dean to go on a hunt. “We’ll watch them.” Kali offered Sam his dufflebag. “And if anything changes, we’ll bring you back. Your brother needs this.” The last part was said quieter, low enough that Dean couldn’t hear from the doorway where he was talking to Jörmun.

“I suggested it. I just hate leaving them here.”

“Gabriel has calmed down. Loki’s stable. Her kids are here for now.”

Sam glanced past her where Fenrir was coming down the hall from the bathroom. His gaze lingered on Kali when he paused outside the door, distrust lining his features. Mouth curled down in a perpetual frown. Bags under his eyes because he’d refused to sleep since he got there two days ago.

“Three of them.”  Sam muttered. Sleipnir hadn’t tried to come around. The story of his conception was an awful one but Sam knew Loki still cared about him. On some level. Even when she resented him, she worried about him. And still, he had refused to come.

“Better than none. Go on, Sam.” She leaned in to kiss his cheek. Quick and gentle and not for the first time he wondered what would happen if he let go. Loki’s approval didn’t mean crap when Coyote was-

when they were catatonic.

“One day, I will show you what you desire.” She murmured with a sly smile that couldn’t ever compete with Loki’s but still ignited that curiosity that had started up with the Goddess’s constant present.

“I hope it lives up to expectations.” She squeezed his arm before backing up.

“Really, Sam?”

“Shut up, Dean.” He slung the bag over his shoulder and made his way towards the door.

“Your relationship- it’s weird. You screw things up with either of them and I’ll kick your ass to the next galaxy.” Dean warned Kali from the door. “Means no funny business while they’re recovering!” Normal. It was almost normal. Pretending everything was fine. Like the three were in the room recovering from something simple rather than two of three recovering from something devastating.

The lie was easier.

“Krypto!” Sam called into the house, the lab barreling out of Dean’s room with Cas trailing behind him.

“Crow has asked me to come help him.” Cas told them when he arrived at them.

“So, you’re bailing?” Dean was disappointed. Maybe a bit frustrated. Sam was annoyed too because he was going to have to listen to Dean and his one nighter to make up for the fact that he hadn’t been able to sleep alone since Purgatory.

“Just today. Crow wants to take me to Vienna. He believes there is something good there.” A smile played on Sam’s lips at that. Crow had asked Cas on a date and Cas was probably completely oblivious to it.

“It’s fine, Cas. We’ve been doing this for years.” A glance at his brother confirmed Dean had come to the same conclusion. Thankfully, an amused look crossed his face.

“Yeah, go for it. We’ll handle it on our own.”

“If you need me, pray.”

“’course.” Cas nodded to them before disappearing in a flutter of wings.

“Think he’ll get laid?” Dean asked after they’d started down the road, the low thrum of AC/DC comfortable in the background.

“Knowing Crow? Only if Cas initiates it. He’s weird about those things.”

“How weird?”

“Not ace like Coya. Just weird. I think it’ll work, though. From what Coyote's said, Crow is… long-term relationship material. And angels apparently do the for life thing.” Dean was nice enough not to bring up Gabriel’s relationship with Sigyn in that regard. Or his history with Michael. Not that it kept it from Sam’s mind. But Gabriel was also different. In a lot of ways.

“Damn it, I’ve got to ask.” Dean finally said and Sam looked out the window as they drove past the first few buildings in town. “How are you looking at her- with everything that’s going on…”

Sam sighed, rubbing his temples. “There’s not anything going on right now. It’s not- it’s complicated. And I don’t really want to get into the specifics. I’m not screwing around on him and she’s not trying to grab me up while they’re catatonic.”

“Don’t dig yourself in, Sam. You can’t save everyone.”

“You think that’s what this is?”

“I think you're both grieving. We do stupid crap when we’re grieving”

“Gabe and Lo _aren’t_ dead.”

“They’re catatonic, though. Loki’s only alive because Coyotl setup some weird magic stone that’s acting as life support. You know it just like the rest of us. We don’t have a _clue_ what’ll happen when if wake up.”

“When they wake up. Where the hell did this pessimistic attitude come from?”

“Hela.” Dean admitted and Sam groaned, shaking his head.

“Screw Hela. She always thinks her dad’s going to die or stay dead. And I’m not just screwing Gabe and his counters. It’s not _about_ sex. Hell, Coyote doesn’t _have_ sex. And Kali isn’t something new. Isn’t some _rebound_. Before this crap happened we’d both gotten an okay from Lo to see where things go.”

“Sam-”

“No.” Sam reached over and turned the radio up, _Highway to Hell_ blaring loudly and effectively ending the conversation.

They would get Coyote back. He wasn’t going to grieve because she wasn’t lost.

They would get her back once Loki and Gabriel were conscious again. No matter the state that they might be in.

 _Cagn, if you’re out there. If you actually did pull a God and ditch your kids. You owe the Three. You did this to them. You’ll give her back to me. Give them a way to become One again. You_ owe _them that. If you didn’t bail, though… well, we’ll figure out what happened. That’s a promise._

After this hunt. Just a simple salt and burn. Then they would focus on Cagn. Help the Tricksters in whatever ways they could.


	9. The First Day.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We take a peek back to when it all began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this early because it's so short.
> 
> So, flashbacks are weird territory for me and I usually don’t use them in this fashion but in this case I felt like it would be better than squeezing it into backstory.  
> In regards to Coyote and her aceness. I know there is no perfect answer to ace. Everyone experiences it differently. I do not claim to be an expert in this matter. But I did some research on it, trying to figure out the specifics of what I would go with for Coyote.  
> I made her enjoy kissing. She doesn’t see it as sexual enjoyment. She sees it as a form of closeness similar to cuddling or hugging. I’m not gonna spend a bunch of time justifying my decisions but I thought I’d clarify this here and now.

**.-~*~-.  
**SAM  
***~-.-~***

**_A FEW MONTHS AGO_ **

The change was sudden. Not a slow alteration. Something they could have realized was there before it happened. Prepared for. It just happened.

In probably one of the weirdest and most uncomfortable ways it possibly could have. Gabriel had been on top of him, the two of them in the midst of a heavy makeout session.

Neither of them dressed. Because that was their luck.

Gabriel had fumbled back on the bed suddenly, eyes wide. Confusion and disorientation clouding him as he babbled something out in something that was definitely _not_ English. Not Enochian or Norwegian. Very clearly one of the Native American languages though Sam didn’t have a clue which one.  

“Gabe?” Sam struggled to right his breathing as the blood rushed back to his brain. His hand coming out to try to placate the panicking Archangel.

“Not-” Gabriel’s eyes shut and his body very quickly changed to the female one. Fully clothed. No snap. Slower than he liked he began to understand. Just the idea. The concept. “Not Gabriel.”

“Coyote?” He asked carefully, reaching out then second-guessing and pulling his hand back. He pulled the covers over his lap, watching her close. Giving her space to clear her head. Giving himself time to piece together the limited information.

“Yes- um…” She glanced at him, swallowing uncomfortably before the soft rustle of clothes against his skin indicated that he was very much dressed again.

Probably for the best, knowing the things he did about Coyote.

“I don’t… why-” There was vulnerability in her eyes. No comprehension of the situation. A complete lack of a grasp on _why_ she was her. Not them. Not One.

Sam didn’t blame her for it. Carefully he inched closer to her, tugging her arm a bit until she complied and crawled in his lap.

“This isn’t right.”

“Is it just you or-”

“No. I can feel- hear them too. I think- it’s weird. It’s not like… it doesn’t make sense.” She shook her head. Rubbed at her eyes. “What the hell happened?” She shook her head, shouted, “Cagn!” whipping her head around. Gaze flicking across the room like The Trickster was going to appear.

They should have. The fact that Cagn _didn’t_ wasn’t shocking though. A frustrated Coyote shoved out of his lap, standing up on the bed and shouted again. Louder this time. Making him grateful Dean and Cas were on a hunt because explaining this wasn’t something he was looking forward to. At all.

“ _Stop it_.” Her voice shifted suddenly and she stumbled a bit, falling on the bed and whipping her head around. “Ugh. Really. That’s all I had to do?”

“Loki.”

“Sammy,” Loki’s smile was all teeth, like it would hide his mix of confusion and concern etched into his face. The worry lines crinkling between his eyebrows. “Shame she didn’t finish our fun.”

“Now’s not the time.” He huffed, shoving off the bed and heading for the door.

“Hey, where are you goin’?”

“You know where I’m going.”

The pout was audible in the way Loki dragged his feet trailing after Sam towards the basement of the house. “What? Not up for the three-for-one special?”

“That’s not my issue and you know it. The three of you will kill each other if you have to share a body.”

“No faith, Sammy boy.” He groaned when Loki caught his wrist, pulled him back to push him up against the wall. Kissed him. Quick and chaste before pulling away. “We’ve been sharing a body _and_ mind for years. We’ve got this on lock.”

“If you’re fine with sharing every bit of their wishes, I guess we’ll have to do the abstinence clause.” Sam countered, putting a hand on Loki’s chest before he could get up in Sam’s personal space. A personal challenge in his eyes. “If you’re cool with their wishes, that includes Coyote’s. And if you’ll remember, she _doesn’t_ have sex.”

“You’re no fun.” Sam was pretty sure Loki wasn’t talking to him by the way his eyes rolled downward, like he was looking at himself in the only way he could. “But fine. Let’s try. Since we can’t split bodies, seems to be the only way to do it.”

“You can’t?”

“Nope! First thing I tried. We’re too linked to separate at that level again.”

“But not mentally?”

“I don’t make the rules.” Frustration manifested itself on Loki’s face again, though. Annoyance.

“We don’t have everything for a Cagn summoning.”

“What are we missing?”

“Hold on…” After taking a step back, Loki’s eyes closed. Body returning to the very male one that Sam was much more used to. Then his demeanor shifted and some part of Sam relaxed.

When it came to the Three, Sam was significantly more accustomed to Gabriel. It had been a while, but it was still there. The familiarity.

“I need an ounce of infant blood. Fresh.” Gabriel said quietly. “I will go get it. The rest of what I need should be in the bottom cabinet.” Then he was alone. Descending the stairs with a certain level of dread threatening to claw its way into his throat.

He should’ve called Dean. Said something to Cas. This could very quickly be a genuine problem they would all have to handle. If Cagn refused to help. Summoning them didn’t guarantee anything. There was no reason Cagn had to help. Not even if they liked Gabriel.

Hell, this could be Cagn’s work. Some trick that The Trickster decided to pull to screw with them. Gabriel always said that Cagn loved chaos.

“We’ll be fine.” The flutter of wings had already signified his arrival. Gabriel was on the other end of the room, back against the wall, vial of blood in his hand. The cap visible from between his fingers.

“Why do you have a bowl of summoning ingredients labeled for Cagn?” Sam asked, frowning at the container. He knew they’d have the ingredients. He hadn’t expected them to be sorted like that.

“Because they’re Cagn. We _know_ them. And if there’s one thing we know, it’s that they would be thrilled to get a one-up on us again. So, we wanted to be prepared.”

“You know. I did something like that after Mystery Spot.” Sam considered, thinking back on one of the worst times of his life.

“Where do you think I got the idea?” Gabriel pushed off the wall then, crossing to the center of the room and snapping his fingers almost hesitantly. The devil’s trap disappeared from the floor and Gabriel knelt down. Began painting symbols and designs into the concrete using the blood. A small brush that he definitely hadn’t been holding moments ago in his hand. Sam knelt down across from him, setting the bowl of supplies in an empty space.

“What if it doesn’t work?”

“Cagn won’t do that to me.”

“Gabriel.”

“I don’t know, Sam. I want to think nothing will change. But the Three of us are… not the same person. I mean, before we were One you never would have looked at us like this.”

“That’s not true.” Sam countered, “I mean- yeah. There was some crap. And if you’d asked me a few years back I wouldn’t have thought for a second that I’d be in a relationship with Gabriel? No. I would’ve probably punched whoever asked. But now I know you.”

“And if that ‘you’ becomes ‘all of you’?” Gabriel asked. “We’re a lot of baggage.”

“So am I.” Gabriel smiled at him just a bit at that. “We’re adaptable. We’ll deal with it. But I need to know you aren’t going to take off.”

“I promise I won’t take off. Is that enough?”

“Yeah.” Sam helped finish the sigils in silence. Following Gabriel’s instructions as they marked out the floor.

“Loki is going to take over.”

“Trickster blood, right?” Nodding, Gabriel shifted slightly before his posture changed in a very familiar way.

“Hey, Sammy.”

“Loki.”

“Don’t sound so put out.”

“I’m not put out.” Sam defended, offering his hand to help the Trickster to his feet. “Despite what you seem to think. I don’t hate you.” Once he did have Loki on his feet, he tugged him up into a kiss, carding his fingers through the shorter hair of his male body.

“I could be convinced.” Loki hummed when they pulled apart, grinning a bit. “But let’s get Cagn here so we don’t have to find out if I need to.”

“Agreed.”

They moved away from the summoning circle, Loki picking up an old blade off of one of the tables and slicing it into the palm of his hand. Black blood pooled on his palm, trickling out and pouring into the bowl beneath him. Together, they began to chant in a language Sam didn’t know. Some ancient tongue he was barely able to pronounce. But they wanted more voices involved in the summoning. More people making an effort meant a better chance Cagn was forced to arrive.

“That’s it?” Sam asked after they were done. The room silent. Air thick with energy.

“It’s just a matter of them showing their face.” Loki confirmed, climbing up onto a table and crossing his ankles. “Which they hopefully will do.”

“What do you want to do while we wait?” He asked, hesitating half a second before joining him.

“Well, there’s a hundred and ten things I’m down for. Unfortunately, Coyote’s sitting in the back of my mind telling me to screw off. Doesn’t seem to get the point of screwing off.”

“I think she gets it plenty.”

“I’m not being a dick. Just a bit disappointed. If this does become long term, we’re gonna have to work something out. Abstinence isn’t my slice of cake.”

“I can’t believe you’re the same person.”

“Neither can I. If we don’t figure out how to fix this damned problem, we’re gonna have to figure the rest of it out. Because Gabe and Coyote are sittin’ in the back of my head arguing and I can’t think.”

About three hours later they had gone through two bottles of whiskey. Taken to alternating between heavy makeout sessions and the Three alternating between telling stories.

It was oddly normal, given the situation.

“They aren’t coming, are they?”

“Probably not.” Coyote sighed deeply, rolling off of him to stare at the basement ceiling. She giggled. “Mmm. Maybe sober would be smart.”

“Sober’s boring. And Cagn might’ve just screwed us.” Sam muttered, rolling onto his side to kiss her temple. Respecting the boundaries. Her rules. Clothes. Nothing below the waste. But kissing was fine. And when she let go, Coyote was an amazing kisser.

“Screwed us. Or freed us.” Humming, she reached out. Cupped his face in her hand. Hooking her thumb under his chin. Pulled him closer to press their foreheads together. “When wereall one… is muddled. This mighbe easier.”

“You think so?”

“I don’t know.” She kissed him, slightly uncoordinated. “But we’ll figure it out. Or the three of us will kill each other.”

“You won’t do that.” He said confidently.

“Maybe. It can’t get worse from here, right?”

“Optimism looks good on you.”

“That all that does?”

“Why, Coyote? You want me to praise you?”

“Maybe. Would you do it if I asked?”

“For you? Absolutely. Tell Lo that he can screw off, though.” It was weird. Just _how_ easy it was to fall into that kind of pattern. And how comfortable the Three seemed to be _as_  Three.

It was weird.

But if things didn’t work. Sam was certain of one thing. Without a doubt. _They_ could work. The Three. Their relationship. It _could_ work.

No. It _would_ work.


	10. Sam and The Five Scrolls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crow and Coyotl help Sam find a way to visit Cagn's home. Sam meets Sun Wukong and something bad happens.

**.-~*~-.  
** SAM  
 ***~-.-~***

“It isn’t my place to allow you into Cagn’s home. It already caused conflict to allow Coyote in. Letting Hunters in would not go over well at all.” Crow insisted, shaking his head.

“What about Sam?” Coyotl asked, speaking up from where he was lounged on the couch. Arms crossed over his chest, head tucked against the corner of the cushion to the point where his head had been basically eaten by the cushions.

“What about him?”

“Sun Wukong granted Coyote permission to bring him.” Coyotl hummed, pushing up and blinking tiredly at all of them. “Coyote’s boyfriend is allowed in Cagn’s home.”

“No.”

Sam rolled his eyes at Dean’s defensive tone. “How much of a risk is it?” He asked the Tricksters.

“Well, the Tricksters that are still in the home are the ones that were willing to accept Coyote’s status as a Trickster.” Coyotl answered.

“Be that as it may, it was reluctant. Sun Wukong was the only one that granted sanctuary and he hasn’t been there. We could arrive and just as easily be attacked by everyone else for bringing a Hunter into their home.” Crow spoke up with a frown in Coyotl’s direction.

“We can handle a bunch of pissy Tricksters.” Dean huffed arrogantly.

“Not there. I’m sure you’ve read plenty of lore to know Tricksters enjoy shapeshifting.” Cagn interrupted, “Many Gods have representative animals on the Earth. For us, though. Cagn’s domain is a safe space for Tricksters. No rules against using our other forms because there aren’t prying human eyes around to expose us.”

“And? Most of you turn into birds and bugs-”

“Have you ever been bit by a hundred and eighty pound bird, Dean Winchester?” Crow interrupted, the ominous sound of rustling feathers echoing around them. “We aren’t limited to the natural world. I recommend thinking before you insult us when you’re asking for our _help_. I’d have thought you’d _learned_.”

“Didn’t mean it like that.” Dean flinched back like he’d been hit. Crow’s voice sharp as a knife, bordering angry. Knowing Crow, probably already angry.

“We all want the same thing, Crow. You said that Sun Wukong was good with me coming before. Ask him if he can come here. Let me talk to him. I’m not trying to pick a fight with their extended family. I want to help find Cagn. They’re the one shot we have to get Coyote back.”

“I can ask Sun Wukong to come here but I will warn you. He is… different.”

“Different how?” Dean asked, agreement already on the tip of Sam’s tongue.

“He doesn’t have a human form and doesn’t typically use any forms of magic to mask his appearance.” Coyotl chuckled, struggling into a sitting position. “Kinda wish I’d made that choice today.” He muttered so low Sam almost didn’t catch it.

“So, what’s he look like? Are we gonna be talking to some sort of bird or a dog?”

Rolling his eyes, Sam interjected, “Sun Wukong is the Monkey King. So, he looks like a monkey?”

“It’s his favorite form, yes. Have you ever seen a…” Crow trailed off, scrunching his brows.

“Macaque.” Coyotl spoke for him. “The Earthly resemblance would be a macaque. Though he retains a human size. Easier if you just think big monkey man.”

“Think, but don’t say.” Crow added. “He’s got a good sense of humor but he isn’t all that patient with humans.”

“We’ll return shortly.” With a snap of Crow’s fingers, Crow and Coyotl disappeared from the room.

“So, you really think going there’s going to get you an answer?”

“I think that their home’s our best bet for figuring out what happened.”

“Or more fuel for the denial that things end.” Hela chimed in as her and Jörmun joined them again from the kitchen. “Coyote is dead. Cagn is dead or dying. As is the circle of life. Surely your childhood wasn’t so neglected that you didn’t ever watch _The Lion King_?”

“I miss when you were optimistic, Hela.”

“I _am_ optimistic, Jöry. But there’s a difference between optimism and stupidity. Father is weakened. Drastically, severely, _weakened._ But being here helps him. _We_ help him. Helping him doesn’t consist of forcing your way into a Trickster’s domain to try to bring back one of his other parts.”

“Unless they’re right and Cagn’s absence _is_ killing them.” Jörmun countered his sister with a bitter scowl. “Just because you accept death is part of the natural order it doesn’t mean letting an entire subset of Gods die off is the answer.”

“Would the world truly be worse without the Tricksters in it?”

“You don’t mean that,” Jörmun said quietly. Irritably.

“I really do, brother.”

“Leave.” Jörmun’s tone rang with a simmering fury that had Sam shooting his attention to the World Serpent, Jörmun’s eyes glowing a dim yellow as they became more angled, losing their human appearance to become more snakelike. Face set hard and angry.

“I’m being serious.”

“So am I!” Jörmun was on his feet, “You’re condemning them all to death out of spite for something that was done as a _joke_.”

“A hundred thousand souls is not a joking matter, Jöry! I am allowed to be angry.”

“Not _here_. Not with Father’s life on the line. Do I need to remind you about everything that Coyote did for you? What Father and Gabriel did? Helheim would be in _ruins_ if they hadn’t been there!”

“Helheim is all but in ruins _because_ of them!” Hela countered, “I love Father. I love Coyote. I do. They saved Helheim at one point but Veles _ruined_ me.”

“They’re all your father, Hela.” Sam spoke carefully. Resisting the desire to lash out at her. Sam didn’t know the specifics. But she was pushing it.

“Yes. They are. And I love them. But if Cagn is truly gone and they are truly dying it will be for the best when it comes to the rest of us. They have no _rules._ No codes. No honor. Father knew it too. Cagn burned it into his damned skull. I am sorry, Sam. I know you care deeply. But when it comes to this, my mind will not be changed.”

“I believe it is time for you to go, sister.” Fenrir’s bitter voice broke through the air. Tired. Displeased.

“Fen-”

“You aren’t welcome here anymore. Negative energies are not good for the healing process. You _know_ that.” When Sam turned to look out of the living room, he spotted Fenrir where he was leaning against the doorframe of Sam and Gabriel’s room, looking worse than he had when he first got there a week and a half ago. “Leave.”

“Tell me you don’t think the same, Fenrir. Sitting in that human body.”

“I _don’t_ think the same thing. I think no single person should justify punishment to an entirety. What Veles did to you was wrong and it scared us all. But it will never justify you wishing our Father dead. Now leave.”

“Go, Hela.” Jörmun added, Hela muttering under her breath before disappearing.

“What did Veles do to her?” Sam asked, looking towards Jörmun.

“He took three thousand of her souls and dumped them into Fólkvangr. Normally it wouldn’t matter. It’s not an out of the ordinary Trickster prank.”

“Fólkvangr is run by Freyja, though.” They’d talked to him about it before. Freyja was pissed at Gabriel for the Elysian Fields incident. Even after everything, she wouldn’t compromise directly with Hela. With Heaven. “Freyja won’t give them back.”

“No, she won’t. Hela and I rely on every single soul in Helheim for our powers. What Veles did had repercussions to the rest of us that he doesn’t care enough about because he hates Father. Hela’s anger is righteous, just…”

“Misplaced.” Crow finished when he appeared in the room, Fenrir nodding and disappearing into their room again.

“He’ll be here soon.” Coyotl added, stepping out from behind Crow and shaking his hair out. Water splattering across the room. “He was with Lugh at a wedding.”

“A wedding?” Dean asked.

“Yes,” Coyotl said slowly. “A wedding. Are you losing your hearing? I’m certain I’m speaking English.”

“What kind of wedding would a Chinese Trickster God have to attend?”

“The kind in which the bride is disloyal.” Coyotl deadpanned. “Or the kind that they’re _invited_ to.” Crow added with a scowl. “Your brother is a Trickster, Dean Winchester. We don’t harm the innocent. None of us. That is a hard rule. One that was burned into Loki’s head for forgetting.”

“Fascinating home.” A new voice spoke from the other side of the room. Low and rough in an odd way with a distinctive Chinese accent underlying it. “Why can I not enter their room?” Sam turned. And he stared. Really, he couldn’t help it. Not with the nearly seven foot tall monkey standing outside of his bedroom, tail flicking back and forth behind him like an agitated cat as his gaze slid to Crow.

“We’re being cautious.”

“No one-”

“Veles would if given the chance.”

Sun Wukong's mouth curled down into almost a scowl before he turned back to the door, stepping through when it was opened for him.

“Fenrir. You’re looking rather… human.” Sun Wukong disappeared into the room.

“Wow.” Dean managed first and Sam swallowed, rubbing at his eyes. He’d seen Coyotl talk in his coyote form. He’d seen some pretty insane things. But the monkey man was definitely new. Almost… disturbing.

“Go.” Coyotl murmured when he came up next to him. “Your boyfriends. Your chance.”

Sam moved, Dean’s voice fading as he talked to Crow.

“So, you’re the boyfriend. Sam Winchester.” Sun Wukong was at the edge of the bed, posture relaxed, arm moving slowly back and forth. As Sam joined his side, he saw that Sun Wukong was carefully brushing his long fingers through Loki’s hair. Gently. “I’m not surprised that she hid your name from us.”

“Sun Wukong. The Monkey King. What should I call you?”

“Sun Wukong. Though, your pronunciation is poor.”

“I’m American.”

“That doesn’t matter. Again, Samuel.”

It was obvious that Sun Wukong was screwing with him. But he let it happen while they spent the next five minutes on the pronunciation of the Trickster’s name. Each time sounding basically identical to the last.

“Patient. I suppose to be with this one, you would need to be.” His hand stopped and he rested it Loki’s shoulder. “I never would have imagined Loki with a Hunter.” His hand moved then and he rotated to sit down on the end table, tail swiping the lamp and clock onto the floor only to bring around the vial with Loki's soul curled up in the end. A smile curled on his lips as a chocolate covered banana appeared in his hand, eyebrow raised curiously as he analyzed Sam with his gaze. “I don’t see the appeal.”

“Good thing you’re not dating me, then.”

“Watch yourself, Samuel.” The Monkey King narrowed his eyes, tail moving over to set the vial against Loki’s side. For the first time since they became catatonic, Loki’s soul shifted. Just for a moment. A single moment. A fractured movement. A twitch that fueled the fire of hope. _Life_.

“Loki.” Sam took the vial from where it was set, staring into the depths like it would move again just with power of will. Her body was still trembling. It hadn’t stopped since it started. But was a bit calmer. Maybe. Or possibly it was just wishful thinking.

“Fenrir, would you leave us?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“No.” The door clicked open than shut a moment later. Effectively leaving him alone with the Monkey King. Dean’s voice could be heard just outside. Irritated. If he was to guess, Crow and Coyotl were keeping him out. Keeping him from doing something stupid. Saying something reckless. “Why do you want to go into Cagn’s home? Risk the wrath of every Trickster that resides within?”

“I want to help.”

“Why would we need the help of a human?”

“A _Hunter_.” Sam corrected, eyes flicking upwards from Loki. Meeting the mud brown gaze of a Trickster that could kill him with a snap of his fingers. “I’m a Hunter. And I’m not trying to offend you. Really, I’m not. I know what you are and I’ve seen Loki when she’s being cruel. But humans have a different way of looking at things.”

“A slower way. Coyote looked at one of the scrolls and it nearly burnt out her soul. While I don’t particularly value your life, I do respect Coyote and Loki. Coyote didn’t feel safe bringing you to Cagn’s home and I’m inclined to respect her wishes.”

“I have a feeling it was a bit more complicated than that. Especially with Loki being human.”

“If I want to risk my life, it should be my choice. Not yours.” Sam huffed.

“If you want to risk your life, you can walk in. I’m not stopping you.” Sun Wukong retorted, eyes narrowing.

“But-”

“But,” He interrupted sternly. “You came to me because you want safe passage. You don’t want to die again.” Sun Wukong was holding him with a sharp and scrutinizing stare. “Neither do any of us. I can’t invite a Hunter into Cagn’s home without _very good reason_.”

“We want the same thing.”

“Don’t treat me like I’m a fool, Hunter. You don’t care about Cagn.”

“No.” The twitching tail reminded him of a cat ready to pounce. Sam didn’t want to piss him off. Not when he seemed to be the most viable option. It wasn’t worth lying. “Not personally. But I want Coyote back. Cagn is the only one that can give her to me.”

“And what if they can’t?” Sun Wukong countered, frustrated. “You are acting under the assumption that Cagn can or _will_ resurrect Coyote. Yet, never in all of their existence have they ever performed a resurrection.”

“Then I’ll find another way. But even if that wasn’t the case, if Cagn dies Loki and Gabriel very well might as well. We’ve beat worse odds”

“And you have lost. You and your brother are just as bad as us, you know. Overinflated egos. Belief that the world revolves around _you_. If you died tomorrow, some other Hunter would fall into place. Cagn doesn’t give a _damn_ about either of you.”

“If you weren’t curious about what we could do, you would’ve told Coyotl and Crow no and not shown up. We wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“Insignificant.”

It happened so quick he didn’t notice at first. A sharp, sudden pain that followed seconds behind a click of fingers. A single snap.

His eyes opened and he was in The Veil. Misty grey landscape surrounding him. His throat closed, head whipping around to meet the familiar green gaze of Tessa. Dead.

 _Sun Wukong just killed me_. It was disorienting. Shocking. There hadn’t been any indication that the Trickster was going to do it. That he actually _could_ do it. Yet…

“Please don’t.” Sam turned around, met Tessa’s gaze.

“I’m not here to reap you, Sam. Your soul is being held by that Trickster for the moment.”

“Tricksters can overpower a reaper?”

“For now.” She smiled then. A slight curve of her lips. Not happy or sad. Just a movement of her mouth.

“What’s that mean?”

“It means exactly what you think it means. They won’t save you forever. Your life is limited and I really recommend you stop floundering it.”

“Your message or his?”

“Death is preoccupied at the moment.”

“Is Cagn dead?”

“That is far above my paygrade. Ah, it’s time. See you soon, Sam.”

He gasped, breathing sharply inwards as he jolted upright. His hands flew to his neck, the residual pain of the recently snapped bones lingering far longer than it had in the past.  

“See, fine.” Dean crushed him in a hug, something sharp cutting against his arm. Sudden and quick. Then, Dean let go of him and Sam was scrambling after him, falling off the side of the first couch as he struggled to catch his angry brother. Barely catching him by his legs. Dean shouted some obscenities, directed at what could only be Sun Wukong.

“Sam, let go!”

“Crow-” Coyotl dropped into sight instead, foot coming down on Dean’s right arm to keep the weapon out of hand.

“You killed him!”

“Only for a minute. I was making a point.” Sam glared at Sun Wukong as Coyotl sat down on Dean’s back, ignoring his angry shouting.

“We agreed to no killing, Wukong.”

“You agreed to no killing.” Sun Wukong countered Crow’s statement. “I never made any promises. You are far from a fool, old friend. The inflated sense of importance. The arrogance and pride. It’s their most annoying feature. Gabriel as a whole may love them. But your blind devotion to Coyote is blinding you to the pride that plagues your little pets.”

“We aren’t their pets!” Dean bit out angrily.

 _Crow_. Dean’s voice died out with Sam’s silent plea to him, body going slack on the floor. Coyotl sighed deeply, climbing off and dragging him over to where Sam had been laying when he… woke up.

“If this is going to remain an argument. I am asking you _all_ to leave.”

“There does not need to be an argument. There needs to be a point made.”

“Killing people for kicks is not a point! Cagn made their ruling on this matter quite clear.”

“Stop. I can get over the fact that you killed me- it’s not like I haven’t died in the past.”

 _“Arrogance._ ”

“While I was taking a nap on the other side,” Sam continued on, holding the muddy gaze of Sun Wukong. “A reaper we know visited. Told me something.”

“Did it now?”

“She basically told me that Tricksters aren’t going to stay more powerful than reapers. By power of deduction, it means _killing people_ with a promise of resurrection to teach a lesson? Probably not the best course of action.”

“Was it Tessa?” Dean muttered from behind him.

“Yeah.”

“Did it know anything about Cagn?” Coyotl asked next and Sam shook his head.

“If she did, she was lying.”

“You know a reaper.” Sun Wukong was eying him with suspicion.

“Happens when you die as much as we do.”

“Sun Wukong, I’m asking you to promise _not_ to kill Coyote and Loki’s brother as well as their mate. Not for them but for _us_. Your brothers.”

“I’ll take him into Cagn’s home. Consider it my apology for nearly killing their mate.”

“You did kill him.” Sam kicked back, catching Dean in the shin with the back of his boot. “I’m coming too.”

“That’s a really bad idea.” Crow interrupted. “Sam, whatever the hell you said. The ones in that house aren’t going to want you there. My suggestion is you keep your mouth shut while you dig around.”

“I still believe that bringing a Hunter into the house is a waste of time.”

“Do I need to remind you that Coyote used Hunter tactics to find the sixth scroll? They don’t think like us.”

“That scroll nearly fried Coyote’s soul. But if you want to risk something worse with this one, I don’t have any attachments. Just remember, brothers. This was your suggestion.”

Sun Wukong’s snap made him jump. So did the sudden change of ground beneath his feet and scenery around him, shifting from carpet to hardwood. Their living room replaced with a large dining table where five people were assorted, one standing in the middle with a large mug pressed to his lips. Four seated around him.  

“ _No_.”

“Yes.” Sun Wukong spoke, shifting into another language. Chinese. Words flowed fast and sure from his tongue, the other set of people getting up. Yelling back in other languages. Five distinctive ones that Sam had absolutely no understanding of.

“Coyote is dead. It holds no place among us, Crow. Get it _out_.” The female spoke in English.

“It is not your call to make.”

“I don’t want any trouble.” Sam’s gaze had settled on the center of the table. A good twenty feet away from the five Gods at the far end. A pile of scrolls. Five. “What are those?”

“Death traps.” The one in the center of the table with a thick Irish accent spoke. _Lugh_. He had to be Lugh. “Let’s give the tall one a chance.” 

“Lugh, that is-”

“Take the scrolls, Winchester. Tell us what we don’t see.” The Irish Trickster skipped across the table, kicking aside bowls and cups. Bending over to pick up the scrolls and tossing one by one to Sam. He barely caught them, the red haired man’s movement sharp and precise, landing just close enough that he _couldn’t_ drop them. “What do they say?”

­Sam’s gaze flicked downwards, eyes raking across the rough surface. Skin. Some sort of animal skin, rolled tight enough that he could almost wrap one hand around all five of them. Sam moved the bowls and cups to the side on the table in front of him. Spread them out carefully without daring to open them. Each one had a word written on it, five different languages.

“All six would translate for you as something equaling _please forgive me my children_.” Lugh told him, kneeling down in front of him. Curious eyes watching him. “Cagn asks our forgiveness. For what, is unclear.”

“He put them in the proper order.” Coyotl pointed out from over his shoulder like it was shocking.

“They’re numbered.”

“You can see the numbers?” Lugh leaned over the scrolls, head blocking Sam’s view.

“You can’t?”

“Only Coyotl can.” The Russian one said. “Why can the human see what the coyotl does?”

“None of you can see the numbers?” Sam looked around where the Tricksters were moving in closer, apprehensive. Wary.

“No. What makes you and Coyotl so different?”

“What was your working theory before?”

“Cagn chose him to see the numbers so we could not discard Coyote’s pack from the finding process.” The first one that had spoken English said.

 _Nanabozho._ This time it was Coyotl’s voice in his head rather than his own. Carefully providing him with information he’d need.

“Then perhaps that is why Cagn has given Sam Winchester that vision.” Sun Wukong spoke.

“What do you feel when you touch them?” Lugh asked, moving back. “Shut up, Coyotl.” The Irish man added when Coyotl snickered.

“Like I should open them.” Sam admitted, looking over at Crow who had seated himself on the table. Tense. Ready for a fight.

“The Azeban opened the second and it fried all of their souls. Coyote’s soul was changed. No one is opening them again.” Coyotl put his hand over the top. A low growl mixing into his voice.

“Azeban is dead?” Sam looked at Crow who avoided his gaze.

“You have no connections to the Azeban. It didn’t seem relevant.”

“We didn’t want it getting back to Loki. Loki and the Azeban were… well, a couple.” Coyotl was shifting behind him. Awkward and uncomfortable as he unknowingly told Sam something he already knew.

“I know that. Which is why I can’t fathom why you didn’t _tell me_.”

“Because it’s not exactly an easy thing to handle.” Coyotl growled. “And because if we’d said anything you would’ve told Dean and I’m sorry but your brother treats us like complete and utter _crap_. So, no. We didn’t say a word. Because what we’re going through is far more than any human is ever going to grasp.”

Sam flinched, turned his gaze to the scrolls. The second one. Because it was true. So damned true. It was racism of a different kind. The same exact hateful comment that Hela had made. And he couldn’t justify it, couldn’t defend it, because it was something they ignored. Pretended was okay. There wasn’t a point in apologizing. He couldn’t apologize on Dean’s behalf. Just like Gabriel hadn’t been able to apologize on Loki’s behalf. “Are you okay, Coyotl?”

“Peachy, Sam.” Sam grabbed the scrolls from the table before turning and chasing after Coyotl who was walking down a hall.

“Go away, Sam.”

“No.” Sam grabbed Coyotl’s shoulder just outside of a sliding glass door that lead to an expansive yard. Bright green grass. A sky that couldn’t be from anywhere in North America. “Coyotl, I’m sorry that Dean’s a dick. I can’t change that. But I can stop letting it happen.”

“I don’t get why Coyote and Loki let him get away with it. It’s complete and utter _crap_.”

“Because we see it as Dean being Dean. That’s how I’ve always handled Dean. How he would’ve dealt with it in Purgatory.”

“I’m not going back, Sam. I’ve got to be honest. If I go back there, I’m going to slit your brother’s throat. I will kill him and I won’t hold onto his soul.”

Coyotl was rarely ever violent. Harsh. Sam didn’t have a clue what to say. How to answer. Because it was his brother. He couldn’t just agree with it. But he couldn’t defend him. His defense for Dean’s actions here weren’t going to work. “Coyote won’t forgive you.”

“Coyote’s dead, Sam.”

“For now. Even if she’s not, Gabe and Loki are still around. You can’t do that to them.”

“Which is why I’m _not_ going back. Sam, I care about you. Both of you. We’re family. But your brother is dancing that same dangerous line that Hela is. Family can only cross so many lines before it becomes self-harm to let them get away with it.”

“And what about your brother? Didn’t he start this all by following the damned Devil’s orders?”

Coyotl looked over at him, eyes burning intensely, teeth bared just a bit. Revealing the sharp and dangerous rows that lined the front of his mouth. Not human. Animal hidden away behind human flesh. “I killed my brother, Sam. Because when he found out that Coyote was dead, he laughed. He told me she probably deserved it. Family for me has limits. Lines. And sometimes, that line is crossed. So, how about you think before you talk and make assumptions.”

“He’s dead?”

“And six feet under. So, when I tell you I’m ready to kill your brother, I wouldn’t take it with a grain of salt. I had a lot more sentiment towards mine.” Devastation. Coyotl was showing more emotion than he typically did. When it came down to it, they didn’t talk a lot. Crow and Coyotl preferred nonverbal. The last week and a half having been the single most communicative they’d ever been.

Sam realized they had barely scratched the surface. Knowing what he did about their history with Coyote, Sam had understood they were close. Weirdly close. Closer than he could ever understand. But he’d assumed the grief had been discarded. Or recycled into acceptance and hope. Now, looking at Coyotl, he saw nothing but anguish. Heartbreak and fear. Real, raw, emotion etched into every inch of his body. Eyes glistening with tears he wouldn’t shed.

“I’m sorry.” He murmured, swallowing heavily. “I’m so sorry.”

Coyotl’s eyes flashed with something, then he had an armful of fur. Smaller body trembling violently as he burrowed against Sam’s chest. He’d barely caught him, scrolls scattering to the ground as he held the coyote.

They cried. For the first damned time since Coyote died, Sam broke down. Let the grief that had been building for the last week and a half grab on. Overwhelm him.

When Crow joined them, he moved the scrolls to the side, reaching over and resting a hand on Coyotl’s back. “They’re drinking again.” Crow muttered.

“They don’t really give a damn about me being here, do they?” Sam asked quietly, threading his fingers through Coyotl’s fur.

“I think they’re giving up. Considering the only things that were left behind by Cagn have resulted in the deaths of the ones that looked at them, it’s hard to see a silver lining.”

Sam glanced over at the pile of scrolls. The desire to look was strong, pressing insistently at his mind. But knowledge made him wary. What would it do to him? It had killed Azeban, Coyote had… well they didn’t know exactly _what_ had happened to her, what would happen to him?

“Sam.” He looked over at Crow, their gazes meeting for a long, solitary moment. Wariness. Exhaustion. “Don’t.”

“I think I have to.” Coyotl crawled out of his arms, sniffing across the ground before picking one of them up. _Two_. He carried it over and dropped it in Sam’s lap, gaze meeting his.

 _Together_. It wasn’t spoken. Coyotl didn’t have to say it. Didn’t need to speak. The word was there. Clear and distinct. Just as clear as non-verbal communication with Dean was.

Sam exhaled, catching Crow moving out of range while Sam gripped the edge of the page. Coyotl crawling into his lap to look with him.

“Crow, if this goes bad- don’t give up on Cagn. On Coyote. Get her back.”

“You’ll be fine.” Crow mused, “You and your brother are relentless.” He didn’t sound worried. But Crow generally didn’t let emotion alter his words.

“We are, aren’t we?” Sam’s gaze flicked back to the scroll.

 _Three… two… one_.

Sam blinked when he looked at the word etched into the back. Six letters, soft and smooth. Written in a simplistic font, a splotch of black Trickster blood planted on the right side.

“Didn’t expect that.” Coyotl muttered from his lap, the talking coyote the least of his problems as he tried to process the simplicity of what he was looking at.

“What is it?” Crow asked, tone leaking just a bit of concern.

“A name.” Sam muttered, reaching forward to touch the letters. Static seemed to cling to his skin from where he touched it. But that was it. No epic, world shattering revelation. Just a name.

“Who?”

“Azeban.” Sam answered quietly. “It says Azeban. Give me the others.”

A quick look confirmed that it was the second scroll he’d been looking at. Coyotl returned to his human body, grabbing the other scrolls off the ground and sitting next to him. Together, they went through the other four scrolls. Both him and Coyotl remained immune. Unharmed.

Crow didn’t dare try.

Each scroll housed a different name. Four different names. Sun Wukong was five, Lugh was four and, Dolos was three. Azeban two. And one… one hurt. The first scroll housed one name. Scrawled smooth and matched with a black splotch of Trickster blood.

“Coyote.” He muttered, wrapping his fingers around the scroll.

“I think they’re Death Marks.” Coyotl muttered.

“Those were banished thousands of years ago.”

“Coyote. Azeban. Dolos. Lugh. Sun Wukong. Whoever was on Coyote’s. Six names. Sam can look at them because he’s human.”

“If he can look, why can you?”

“Because I’ve _been_ a human. I’m functioning under the human filter. That’s why Coyote wasn’t killed by hers.”

“But she was burdened by her connection to Gabriel. The Creation exposure allowed her to read the hidden aspects of the scroll.” Crow said in slow understanding. “That’s why it damaged her soul. Seeing pieces that she wasn’t meant to read.” Frowning, he shook his head. “Death Marks are obscene.”

“What’s a Death Mark?” Sam looked between Crow and Coyotl, rolling up the first scroll and shoving it in his shirt pocket.

“Something the infamous Sam Winchester doesn’t know.” Coyotl teased him lightly despite the tension wracking his form. “Death Marks are ancient bargains that the Primordials used to make with Gods. Death banned them because they were… cheap.”

“So did the scroll kill Azeban or…”

Crow got to his feet, beginning to pace. “The scroll killed the Azeban. But not necessarily as part of the Death Mark.”

“So… what killed Coyote?”

“I don’t know.” Crow admitted, “Death Marks have a timeframe. It could’ve been the Mark, or it could’ve been something else entirely. We don’t know what she did after she left.”

“How do they kill?”

“They don’t. Not on their own. The Mark is set by a deal and whoever the deal was made with has to execute the Mark. Think of it like a divine hitman service.”

“So, it has to be a Primordial?”

“Yes. People like Zeus used them to ascend in power. Overthrow their fathers or whoever else was above them. There were limits.”

“So, who made these deals?” Sam asked, looking at the rolled up scrolls on the ground.

“And with which Primordial?” Coyotl added.

“I think we should discuss it with the others. Especially with the names on that list.”

Sun Wukong and Lugh both were on there. Not to mention the fact that they didn’t know what name had been written into the sixth scroll.

“Any idea what timeline it might be?” Sam asked when they all moved into the dining area. Sun Wukong and Lugh were less than pleased at the revelations that their names were on the list. Reluctant to believe that they were Death Marks.

“They generally never lasted longer than a year. Without knowing _who_ made the agreement with which Primordial we just cannot make that predication.” Sun Wukong muttered, tail coming out to grab one of the scrolls. “None of the fonts or languages have matched each other.”

“Where did you find the scrolls?” Sam asked, rubbing his temples. He needed Dean here to help process this information but he wouldn’t dare suggest it.

“The garden. All of them were outside.”

“Hidden.” Coyotl aided Iktomi helpfully.

“The answer is obvious.” Nanabozho muttered from across the room. Refusing to get closer. “Cagn made the deal with one of the others. They threw us to the dogs to rejuvenate whatever they wasted making us.”

“Screw off, Nana.” Coyotl growled. Nanabozho pushed off the wall, shaking her head and scowling as she retorted in another language that Sam didn’t recognize. An argument erupted, Crow grabbing him and pulling him away at the same moment a large rabbit broke across the table, Coyotl flying forward in the form of a coyote to cut into her throat with teeth.

Big. They were _massive_. No longer was he looking at manifestations of animals he could come across in day to day life. Crow’s comment about a hundred and eighty pound bird became much more real when he watched Coyotl pounce the rabbit. Both monstrous beasts no smaller than a lion. And Nanabozho _screamed_. A broken off sound that evoked reactions from almost everyone in the room.

He saw black feathers, wide, broad, stretched out wings. Then the ground disappeared from beneath him.


	11. Sam and Gabriel and The Not-So-Fresh Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel wakes up and it goes about as well as anyone could've planned for.

**.-~*~-.  
** SAM  
 ***~-.-~***

“Sam!” The whispered shout was followed by a hand on his knee shaking him awake in the recliner he’d passed out on. His eyes flew open, meeting Fenrir’s. The man had a finger over his lip, apology in his eyes while Fenrir held the gun Sam had had next to him out of range. For the best too, his hand trying and failing to grab the weapon. “They’re moving.”

Blinking the sleep form his eyes, he was moving to his feet. Crossing the room to rest a hand on Loki’s side. She was calm. Gabriel as well. It had been a month now since Coyotl had tried to kill Nanabozho at Cagn’s home. Apparently, she had called Coyote Coyotl's whore and he hadn’t taken it well.

Sam didn’t blame him.

But now Gabriel was calm. Completely and utterly still, Loki having moved at some point in the night. Leg hooked between Gabriel’s legs, arms wrapped around his neck. Head burrowed against his chest.

It had been a position he’d woken up to in the past few months. But not ever from Loki or Gabriel. One of the few intimate positions that Coyote would get into.

Yet again, he wondered what condition they would be in when they woke.

He desperately wanted Coyote to be there. Somewhere. A Loki or Gabriel without her could be dangerous. None of Coyote's love for humanity. Just whatever had managed to stick around from their time as humans.

“Here.” Kali had joined them then, voice surprisingly soft as she passed him the vial of Loki's soul. The essence within was pressing against the bottle. All but reaching for Loki.

“Should we let it go?”

“At this point it is probably safe to do so. The panic has subsided. I don’t think returning her soul will cause more trauma. I don’t know if it will wake her, though.”

“At this point, it very well may help the recovery process.” Fenrir added, shifting restlessly next to him. Almost as anxious as the soul in the vial seemed to be.

“They’ll be fine.” Kali murmured before Sam gave in. Carefully, he put a knee into the bed and popped the cap from the vial. The rushing vortex of color -no longer grey and dimmed- rushed from it, flying out and sliding around the side of Loki’s skull. Slipping into her mouth.

A moment passed where nothing happened. Then she inhaled. Sharp, sudden.

She disappeared. There one moment, gone the next. Then Gabriel flung awake. He arched up off the bed, upper body turning and head whipping confusedly between them.

“Gabe-”

“What the- where the hell…” He stared at the three of them, “Fenrir? Why are you… human?”

Sam’s throat closed, Fenrir shifting uncomfortably at his side.

“And _Kali_?” He stared at Sam, eyes narrowing. “What am I doing here?”

“What do you remember?” Fenrir was the first to speak, voice wavering just a bit.

Gabriel’s gaze never left Sam. Not for a moment. There was apprehension in his eyes. Wariness. Maybe a thread of fear.

“Sammy here and his dumbass brother walking into _her_ trap.” Gabriel gestured towards Kali with malice in his tone. “I thought I could trick my brother. Slip a blade in his back and be done with it. Unfortunately, he caught on and speared me like I was a Neanderthals dinner. Then I was here. You stabbed me.”

“You faked your death.” Kali countered, frowning. Killing Gabriel on that night was the least of what she’d done. “You don’t remember Purgatory?”

“I remember dying. To my brother. For _you_. Remind me why I would ever do such a thing?”

“You don’t remember coming back? Being-”

“I remember _dying_.” Gabriel reiterated. “So, one of three things has gone down. I somehow clawed my way out of the clutches of death, I actually managed to cling to life, or my POS brother’s screwing with me right now. _Really_ hopeful that it’s the first one but I can’t think of a single reason Sam Winchester would be hovering over my bedside unless he dropped the big ‘yes’.”

“I’m _not_ Lucifer.” The words felt foreign, dated. Something he hadn’t said in _years_. Because everyone alive knew better. Lucifer was trapped in The Cage.

He’d never thought this was what would happen. They’d expected memory loss. But not the last four years.

“Fen, what did you do?”

“I clawed my soul out of my chest after you died. I felt awful because I was the only reason you were there.”

“It’s not your fault.” A softness crossed his features as he finally turned his focus to Fenrir. Blissfully releasing Sam from the most distrustful look he’d experienced in years. Like he might lash out, kill the Archangel. Like he was _Lucifer_. “I dug my grave.”

“Gabriel-” Sam tried, Gabriel casting him a distasteful look before cutting him off.

“I don’t know what I’m doing here but I’m alive. I’m good. So, I’m gonna say thanks and bolt. Before I’m proven wrong. No offense there, Sam- I just don’t want to risk my life. Again. You two aren’t worth the hassle. Wherever the older one’s at.”

Before the apologies. Before they were even allies. This was one of the single worst-case scenarios they could’ve possibly had. Because _this_ Gabriel was the one that he hated on instinct. The one that had gleefully tortured him and Dean both with no cares as to the repercussions. No redemption. No forgiveness. Just the dick that wanted them both to say ‘yes’.

The brother that wanted it to end.

Sam hated that he wanted to punch the Archangel. Things that they’d grown past- _worked through_.

It didn’t work like this. Just like Gabriel apologizing on Loki’s behalf _didn’t_ work. Especially when this version of him had no regrets. No redemption.

Sam grabbed Kali by her arm and dragged the half-willing Goddess from his room, pushing her into what had been designated Fenrir’s room- ignoring the fact that he hardly left his father’s side the entire time he was there.

“Sam-”

He didn’t give her a chance to say another word before he pressed her against the wall, kissing her like he’d wanted to for months now. She didn’t respond, turning her head with an irritated huff of breath. Curling her fingers into the fabric of his shirt.

“Now is not the time for that.”

“He’s gone, isn’t he?” She didn’t answer and he stepped back. “You know how he was before.”

“Yes, I _do_. Remember? This is who he was when I willingly _stabbed him in the heart_. I know you hated him before. I did too. But things have changed and you absolutely do _not_ get to give up on him.”

“I’m not giving up.” Sam breathed out, grinding his teeth together. Irritable. Frustrated. “I’m _not_. But, Kali we’re at a dead end. We don’t have a clue how to find Cagn. The Devil disappeared to only God knows where.”

“I _know_.” She caught his wrist, turning him so he was the one with his back pinned to the wall. Dark eyes met his. “Sam, while this is something we have established will happen. Now is not the time. I will take what I want. When the time is proper. Not here, not when you are grieving.”

“Kali, _please_.”

“You need to prepare. Prepare for this Gabriel and bringing him back to who he is. The last four years still exist. They are just buried. Damaged.”

“Love isn’t some magical cure-all, Kali. If he’s how he was before, he doesn’t give a _damn_ and he won’t try to.”

“I’m not telling you he’s going to suddenly remember he loves you. This is not one of your human stories. But just because he’s forgotten, it does not mean those memories aren’t there. They still reside within his soul and Grace. It may take time, but they can and _will be_ awakened. I swear to you, Sam.” She kissed him softly. Lips brushing against his gently. He let go for a moment, letting her guide the movements.

 _I bet Lo would love to hear she’s a better kisser than Kali_. Some part of his mind said and he smiled despite everything else.

“So, I take it I’m intruding.” Sam blinked, looking past Kali when she pulled away from him to see Gabriel lurking against the wall, eyes on them both with his arms crossed over his chest.

“How much did you hear?” Carefully he stepped around Kali so he was at her side rather than half hidden behind her.

“Enough to get a base idea of what’s going on here. Fenrir said that I’ve been alive for four years. He refused to tell me the specifics because apparently even as a human he’s a nuisance.” _Human_. The way he used the word reminded him of countless angels and demons. The way that the Tricksters had shunned him. Like they were scum.

 _Pretend it’s four years ago. Dean just came back, dragging a clueless Archangel at his side._ Yeah. An easy concept. Definitely not the same case, though.

“I haven’t been in a relationship since the Azeban and I ended things.” Sam looked away, thinking for a long moment on the dead Tricksters. Three now. Three dead Tricksters. Lugh and Sun Wukong had hidden themselves away in hopes of surviving it.

“They’re dead, aren’t they?”

“Not just them. Tricksters are a dying breed, Gabe-”

“Then that’s a couple lifetimes above my paygrade. Whatever we had- really, Sam. I’m sure it was great. But it’s done. Over. Sorry but you and your brother are way too-”

“Go to Hell.” He bit out, stepping across the room and grabbing the immoveable Archangel by the front of his shirt, leaning down so they were eye to eye. “You don’t get to bail. Not yet. Not when _your_ name is on that list.”

“What list?” Gabriel wasn’t looking into his eyes. Actively refusing to acknowledge his existence as he looked past him at Kali.

“Death Marks have been placed on six Tricksters.” Sam resisted the urge to breathe a sigh of relief when she continued, clearly catching onto the lie he was telling. “Your name is on there.”

“Which name?”

“Loki.”

“It’s a title. Not a name. Death Marks only hold power over names.”

“Your Trickster personas aren’t just _titles_.” Sam shoved him back, feeling just a bit of glee when the Archangel stumbled back a step so he was pressed up against the wall again. “They’re identities, dumbass. _Your_ identities.”

“What would you know about my history?”

“More than you realize. You said you were listening. We have _four years_ of history.”

“Whatever you _think_ you know. I’m sorry, Sam. I am. But I’m not the long-term kind of guy. If anyone should know this, it would be Kali.”

“Read my mind.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because right now, you’re missing some vitally important details.”

“He’s right, Gabriel.”

“Frankly, I don’t _want_ to know.” His expression was guarded. Masks in place that Sam hadn’t seen in years. “Whatever you do or don’t know. It’s not my business. If I am Marked, sitting around here isn’t going to find the one responsible. So I’m gonna go. Sam, you’re gorgeous as all hell but I don’t do the whole sleeping with Vessels shtick. It’s bad mojo.”

The he snapped his fingers.

“Arrogant, self-righteous-”

“He knows more than he’s telling us.” Sam muttered, leaning against the wall and looking behind him. “His self-preservation is too high priority for him not to have dragged more information out. Not when there’s a very real chance he could die.”

“He isn’t faking the amnesia.”

“No,” Sam shifted, turning to meet Kali’s gaze from across the room. “But it doesn’t mean he doesn’t know anything. Like you said. Those memories still exist.”

“Should I follow him?”

“Yeah. Keep an eye on him. I’m going to update Dean and them.”

Nodding, Kali disappeared from the room.

Sam rubbed his face as he prepared to face the larger family he had developed over the last few years. They would handle this. They just had to figure it all out.

**.-~*~-.**

GABRIEL

***~-.-~***

“What do you remember?” Gabriel stared into the pond in front of him, like the reflection in the water might hold the answers to everything he didn’t understand.

“Go away, Kali.”

“Your boyfriend is concerned for your well-being. Not without good reason. What do you remember?”

“Flashes.” He shut his eyes, images from the last four years trying and failing to assemble themselves in his brain. Emotions he still didn’t really grasp. Feelings that he didn’t want to accept.

“You should go back.”

“Hells no. Those damned puppy eyes are poison. You should know.”

“We aren’t a couple.”

“Maybe you should be.” He snapped, glaring at the Goddess who looked sorely unamused. “What is your place in all of that? I know Sam’s. The boys are obvious. Castiel and Dean. You loathe me, though.”

“Forgiveness is a strange thing. But in this case, we mended things between us.”

“I don’t remember that.”

“I’m sure there are many things you are missing. I am used to disappointment from you.”

“But.”

“But, I had hope Sam would not be forced to experience it at your hands.”

“Well, newsflash. I’m a ball of disappointment. Not that it seems like he was too torn up.”

She hit him. Hard. Her foot rounded suddenly and caught him directly in the chest. Sent him flying backwards directly into a tree.

And yeah. He probably deserved that. Even then, he forced himself free catching her fist in the air before she could slam it into his jaw. “Polyamory, asshole.”

“I’m an angel.”

“And you’re a Pagan. I’m the last person on this planet that needs to be reminded of _what_ you are, Loki Odensbane. He’s not just some quick roll in the hay you chose for amusement.”

“You sure about that?” His voice gave away all too much of the truth. Because he did care. He couldn’t remember a moment of their time together, but he _cared_. And he hated it.

“Yes, Gabriel. I am _certain._ Release me.”

“Fine.” He let go and she stepped back. “What do you want me to do? Go back, pretend I remember any of it. Because I won’t. I have to deal with something else.”

“What else? What do you know?” Worry. Curiosity. He couldn’t quite pick up which was stronger.

“Who won the Apocalypse?” He asked instead and she frowned.

“They are imprisoned. Do you truly not remember that?”

“The Elysian Fields is my last clear memory. I remember nothing from death. The last four years are- unclear. Broken.”

“Sam pulled both of your brothers into Hell.”

“The Cage. He went- Jesus. How is he here? Alive? Not a drooling ball on the floor of some psycho ward?”

“This is not my story to tell. Why are you asking about your brothers?”

“Because the last thing I am sure happened was Lucifer holding an Archangel blade against my back.” It was clearer than some of the memories. Not as clear as anything predating his death- though even those memories had questionable gaps- but obvious enough that he knew he had to follow them.

“Lucifer, or the Devil?” She asked and he frowned.

“They split again?”

“Yes. The Devil is the only one outside the Cage… as far as we are concerned.”

Gabriel closed his eyes. Pressed insistently at the memory. At what it might be. The details weren’t clear.

_Sharp. Sudden. A hundred different emotions too quick for him to decipher. Teeth and claws cutting through fur and skin. A cry of pain._

Screaming. He could hear _screaming_. An echo in the back of his mind, sharp and excruciating.

_I’m sorry._

“I’m so sorry.” He whispered, falling to his knees. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”

What was he apologizing for? What was he _missing_?

“Gabriel.”

“I felt death. I felt… I felt myself die. But- I don’t _understand_.”

“Let me return you-”

Another image flashed across his vision.

Cracks.

Lucifer, eyes glimmering with amusement.

Michael, staring on helplessly.

“The Cage.” Gabriel flared his wings, threw himself into Hell where he was immediately barred by a demon hoard.

A cambion emerged from the middle, eyes narrowed in annoyance. “Gabriel.”

“You’re the current leader? You’re kidding me, right?”

“You’re amnesiac again? Lovely. Just what I need. Castiel! Get your feathery ass-”

“Abigail.” Gabriel looked to his right at Castiel's arrival. The young angel was looking at him. Through him. Like he was reading his core in a way that normal angels never would have been able to.

“Let him see them.” Castiel told the cambion firmly.

“Castiel, there are-”

“He isn’t asking and neither am I. If you think you have nothing to hide, this visit will be harmless.”

“Let me through.” Gabriel turned his focus back on the demons, eyes glowing white with Grace. The demons didn’t move until Abigail held up a hand, laying it flat then turning it to a fist.

The demons disappeared.

“How does a cambion take over Hell?”

“When an Archangel kills the last King and all but throws me the crown. You aren’t going to kill me now that you’ve lost your memory, right? Because that would be a real shame.”

Gabriel cast Castiel a quick questioning look.

Cas shrugged a bit helplessly, _'You put her into power from what I know. You have never made it particularly clear if you trust her, though.’_

“I won’t kill you- for now.” Gabriel decided carefully.

“That’s promisin’. Well, whatever. Two’s best of three. Michael and Lucifer have been mostly well-behaved prisoners. Keepin' to themselves. As is necessary. We watch close. Even with Cagn’s missin' eyes.”

“Cagn’s eyes?”

“Yeah. Trickster son of a bitch didn’t trust me to keep an ear out. Had their own patrols watchin' the five star prisoners. Until they disappeared.”

“Seven months ago.” Castiel spoke knowingly and Gabriel cast him a look of confusion, the younger angel slightly shaking his head. Wings shifting restlessly on the ethereal plane.

“Nail on the head there. Seven months. I heard about Cagn, know the whole spiel. Ah, here goes.” She shoved a door open and they stepped into an empty area covered in silt and ash. The Cage in the distance.

_Familiar._

Like he’d been there many times before. Had he visited Michael? God, help him he hoped they weren’t reconciling. Sam and Kali were too much already. Angels were supposed to be monogamous.

“To save time we’ll skip the fireworks. I’ve got things to do.” Abigail clapped her hands and wards around them lit up, Cage manifesting in front of them.

“Gabriel.” Lucifer touched the bars, raising a brow at him.

_“-but you are a great big bag of dicks.”_

His blood ran cold at the sight of the second eldest whose large wings were spread wide and proud behind him.

“You held a blade to my back.”

“And you’ve lost something important, little brother.”

“Lucifer.” Michael chastised, shoving Lucifer to the side. Concerned gaze landing on Gabriel. “Gabriel, what happened to you?”

“Why does everyone seem to know there’s something wrong with me? I don’t _know_.” He scowled, “You aren’t answering me question, Lucifer. Why do I remember you holding an Archangel blade to my back?”

“Because I killed you.” Lucifer held his gaze across Michael’s shoulder, Gabriel already shaking his head.

“No. You stabbed me through the _chest_. I want to know why I was here. What the hell brought me to visit you in The Cage.”

“You weren’t visiting me.”

“I was.” He had no doubt in his mind. The memories were clear enough to know that. Like they were slowly stitching themselves into place.

He still was missing way too much, though.

“I didn’t come to visit Michael. I’m _furious_ with Michael. Why?”

“I could tell you.” Lucifer’s eyes wings flared again, threatening. Dangerous. “But Abigail here _really_ doesn’t want me to. And I could never betray my Queen.”

“What?”

“What’re you talkin’ about?” Abigail huffed out, sounding affronted and annoyed. “You think my title is a joke. You don’t got-”

“The Cage has been damaged.” Michael interrupted her, impatient and frustrated.

“Michael.” Lucifer hissed, betrayal leaking from his voice. It didn’t matter. The damage was done. Gabriel looked past the projection of The Cage. Caught sight of the _actual_ structure. Proof of what he’d seen in his fractured memories.

 _Damaged_.

“That’s not possible.”

“It was the Devil that held a blade to your back, Gabriel. And Abigail is _well aware_ of the damage to The Cage.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Michael. The fact that you’re accusin’ me’s complete and utter crap!”

“I don’t care _if_ she knew. You tried to kill me!”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic.” Lucifer rolled his eyes. “I threatened your life. I didn’t kill you.” _This time_. Something said in the back of his mind, bitter and angry.

“You don’t give a damn. I want to talk to _Michael_. Alone.”

“I can do that.” Abigail muttered, following her words with some quick words in… was that Spanish?

It didn’t matter either way, Lucifer disappearing from view. Leaving Michael alone in The Cage.

“I want to know what happened.”

“I wish to speak with you, Abigail.” Castiel’s tone was low and dangerous. The cambion huffing a frustrated breath. Then the soft flutter of wings.

“Gabriel-”

“I _demand_ to know what happened! Michael. If you have ever _cared_. _What broke The Cage_?”

“We don’t know.” Michael said quietly, kneeling to the edge of and pressing his wings against the bars. Vulnerable in a way he knew Michael would never dare in front of Lucifer.

Gabriel wasn’t stupid enough to near the Cage. But he understood the purpose. The meaning behind it. Submission where it didn’t need to be. Trust that he hadn’t experienced in thousands of years. It wasn’t the right place or time and supposedly he had a boyfriend waiting on Earth. But he _did_ understand why Michael was doing it.

It almost hurt.

“We don’t know. We just know something struck The Cage and Lucifer was able to send the Devil through the cracks.”

“You threatened my life.”

“I didn’t.”

“You didn’t stop him, though. Did you?” No. He hadn’t. Gabriel could remember more now. It was coming back bit by bit. Every moment of that encounter. Other bits and pieces. Working their way into his should be perfect memory.

“If you were where I am. If you were confined to Hell with Lucifer, would you fight him? Or would you let him do as he wished? Because I have to make every choice over the last seven years based off of that fact. Save the Vessels, or save myself. And it has tainted me. But it’s that or letting Lucifer torture me.”

“The Cage has turned you into a selfish dickbag.” The words weren’t as malicious as he tried for. Not when he was forced to imagine that impossible position. Lucifer could be vile. Horrible. Awful. So, if it was the choice between his own sanity and the fate of someone else, he didn’t honestly know what choice he would make.

“If that’s how you want to see it. Then I suppose that is how you will see it.”

Gabriel breathed deeply, carefully approaching the wall between them and pressing his wings to where Michael’s were. Almost touching but not quite there. Stopped by the prison walls.

The prison he’d indirectly sent Michael to.

“How bad is he?”

“You know how bad it is. Sam has shown you.”

Flashes of fire. Skin being ripped from flesh and bone. The laugh of the Fallen.

Gabriel swallowed. Not his memory. Sam’s. Sam Winchester had shown him something that had probably destroyed him.

_A relationship. One I don’t remember. But I want to go home to him._

“I can’t do this.”

“Sam Winchester is human.”

“And we never were anything more than a secret. Your act of defiance. What do you know about the damage, Michael?” He retreated from the edge of The Cage. Drew his wings in to tuck them against his back. Away from Michael. Safely away.

“It was old. Perhaps the five-”

“Six.” He interrupted. Frowning. Six. Why six? What was important about-

_Six._

“The sixth-”

“I know what you told me when I was young. I want the truth. What happened to six?”

“Six was…” Michael stared longingly at his wings. Tips of his own pressing against the barrier like he might get through it. “Order. Where Chaos existed, Order followed.”

Chaos was Cagn. That was something he knew for certain. Who was Order? Where was Order?

“You think Order did this? You have been a victim of the destruction of balance. Why would Order divide your minds? Lucifer’s minds?”

Minds. His minds. Loki, ********,** and Gabriel. Just like Sam had said.

Something was missing. A name. His name. A third name.

“I don’t know. But we need to learn. Because something terrible has happened. And the damage to The Cage _must_ be repaired.”

“Allow me to escape.” Michael whispered. So low Gabriel almost didn’t hear.

Or maybe he wished he hadn’t.

“I can’t. Michael, before you ever had the chance Lucifer would break out and you know it.”

“Don’t leave me here.” Michael all but begged him. Vulnerable in a way that the other Archangel had no right to be. Wings sliding down the barrier between them. The Archangel dropping to his knees. “Please.”

“I have to go.”

 _‘Castiel, did she know?’_ His wings felt heavy when he spread them behind him.

_‘Not from what I can tell. Find out where the Devil is.’_

“Michael, where is the Devil?”

“I don’t know.” Gabriel saw through the lie. The desperation to keep him there. Because this was familiar. It was coming back in small trickles. Little blips and images reminding him that they went through this every time that Gabriel came to visit. Anything to have a couple more minutes. A few extra seconds.

He loathed it.

“Yes, you do.” Gabriel held his brother’s gaze. Wanting to go but not quite able to.

Because this was Michael and he wasn’t sure he wanted to leave him here. In The Cage. With _Lucifer_.

“Gabriel, please.”

“Tell me where he is.”

“Don’t leave me with him.”

“Michael- if you tell me where the Devil went, I will try to get you out. I promise. I need your help, though.”

“If I tell you. Lucifer will know. If Lucifer knows… I will suffer for it. This is his domain. Not mine. Please, don’t ask this of me.”

Gabriel felt his wings quiver behind him, an ache in his Grace at what he was doing. This was wrong. It was _wrong_. Michael-

Michael didn’t deserve this.

Gabriel shivered. How could he leave Michael here? How? There was an answer. A way Michael could free himself. A way to save the eldest Archangel.

Why had he not suggested it? What stopped him?

Knowing that some part of his instincts didn’t want that kept him from recommending it. Just barely.

“Please, Michael. It’s not safe for him to be out there.”

A long stretch of silence. Then a soft whisper. “Purgatory.” A brken sound escaped him. Pained. “The Devil went to Purgatory.”

“Why?”

Michael’s gaze met his. Vulnerable and sad. “To find you. The last piece of you. Lucifer believes your soul can be used to damage The Cage.”

“But I’m _not_ in Purgatory.”

“Not all of you. Pagans go to Purgatory in death.”

The third one that he didn’t know.

“I’ll come back, Michael. I promise.”

“Don’t leave me. Please, Gabriel.”

His wings were like lead when he took flight. Vacated Hell and returned home-

 _Home_.

Where Sam and Dean were waiting, talking quietly at the dining table.

“Gabe.” Sam started to stand before he second-guessed himself. Returned to his seat. Gaze planted firmly on Gabriel. Hopeful in a situation he didn’t fully understand.

But he wanted to. Hazel eyes filled with love. Love. It had to be love. Sam Winchester was in love with him.

“So. It seems like we need to talk.” Not nearly as casual as he tried for.

And he could tell that Sam saw right through it. Go figure.


	12. Dean and The Chick Flick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean tries to help his brothers out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DID A DUMB AND I TOTALLY MESSED UP!  
> THIS IS THE PROPER CHAPTER 12

**.-~*~-.**  
DEAN  
***~-.-~***

Dean felt bad for Sam. Watching him stare at his boyfriend like he wasn’t certain whether or not he could trust him was depressing. But it was reasonable. Because Dean wasn’t sure he trusted his Archangel brother either.

“You didn’t want to talk earlier.” Sam finally said. Tone guarded. Krypto ducked out from under the table, barking excitedly at Gabriel who looked down, surprised.

“You have a dog.”

“We have a dog. All of us.” Sam corrected. “You brought him to us as your apology gift the night you told me you were interested in me. His name is Krypto.”

“Krypto. Clever.” Gabriel knelt down, scratching Krypto behind his ear hesitantly. “Guess Jared didn’t make it through my death.”

“No, he didn’t. When you died, all your pockets collapsed.”

Jared… the name was familiar. What- _oh_. Gabriel’s terrier. The dog he had apparently had before he died. When they’d been in Purgatory, Gabriel had told them he figured the dog was dead. Apparently he was. It was kind of sad to learn that but he hadn’t really cared enough about that tidbit of history when they were fighting for their lives.

“So best case, he was thrown out into the world. Worst case, it killed him.”

“Yeah.”

“Sucks. He was a great dog.” Gabriel muttered, looking back at them. “Who was my third personality?”

Sam and Dean glanced between each other before Sam answered, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “Coyote.”

“Coyote.” Gabriel repeated. Like the name wasn’t his own. Awkward and uncomfortable. Nothing like the way that Loki and Gabriel had talked about her before. “Crow and Coyotl’s packmate. The one that killed Anansi.”

Neither of them answered. Because Anansi was a sore topic. One that Gabriel never spoke about willingly. That name didn’t belong here. At all.

“Foot in my mouth?” Gabriel asked with a grimace. “Look, I’m not sure what I did. I’m getting… we’re something, Sam. I feel it but it’s muddled.”

“And me?”

“Undying hatred.” Gabriel sounded unimpressed when he eyed Dean. Like he thought it was ridiculous that Dean was asking such a stupid question.

Which yeah. Maybe it was. Just a bit. But it also felt familiar in a way that put him at ease.

“What’s our deal, Dean? Please tell me I didn’t get into some three-”

“No!” Dean interrupted quickly, far too uncomfortable with the premise of where that was going to dare let it finish being said. “We’re brothers, man. Fought through Purgatory together. Me, you, Cas. Close as Siamese twins.”

“Conjoined.” Sam muttered from across him and Dean snorted.

“A human is my brother? Well, why not? I suppose it makes sense if I’m in a relationship with one.” Gabriel huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Purgatory, though. Funny you say that.”

“Why’s it funny?”

“Because that’s where the Devil is.” Gabriel answered, blinking to focus on them. “He is looking for my other part. Apparently, Lucifer thinks he can use her to break him out.”

“And can you?”

“What? Break him out? No… probably.” Now it was Sam and Dean’s turns to be unimpressed. Glowering slightly at the Archangel who threw his arms to the side. “It’s not a science, okay? Hell is complex and The Cage took some major damage from only Dad knows what. Probably Order. But that’s not the issue.”

“What’s Order?”

“Long story. Again. Not the point, Dean. Sam, don’t do that. Sad and scared puppy eyes are breaking my heart. I’m trying. I’m fifty miles behind everyone else. Lucifer’s not going to get free and he’s not getting his dirty hands on my Hunter- _woah_. Guess I do love you, huh?” Gabriel was clearly stunned by his own defense. Protectiveness pouring off him in waves. “So, a third of my soul’s dead. Luci thinks it’s in Purgatory.”

“But you don’t agree?” Sam asked, hope bleeding into the words.

“Tricksters don’t go to Purgatory. They go to the source. The Trickster. Cagn. I know you know this so why’re you acting like you don’t?”

“Because Cagn’s missing.” Sam muttered. Like the confession was a new one. A dirty secret. And maybe it was. Except Gabriel wasn’t missing everything like he had been after Purgatory. It was all clearly still there. Melding in odd ways.

 _Except Coyote_.

“Cagn’s always missing, Sam. Primordials don’t just kick the bucket. They’re kind of vital to the whole fabric of existence.”

“You sound a hell of a lot more certain now than you did last time we talked about it.”

“I don’t know what to tell you guys. If Cagn was dead? We would know. We would be _certain_. Because Cagn is… Chaos. One of the two nameless Primordials.”

“So Order is like… Cagn’s alter ego?”

“The yin to Cagn’s yang… or is it the other way around? Whatever. Ironically, Order can’t exist without Chaos. So, it’s safe to assume that they’re alive. Of course, why Order would attack The Cage is an entirely different question in itself.”

“Hey, Gabe?” Sam asked, “Can me and Dean have a second? Please.”

“Really? I’m being sidelined?”

“ _Please_?” Sam asked again, Gabriel huffing and rolling his eyes.

“Fine.” Gabriel disappeared with a snap of his fingers and Sam got up from his seat. Crossed the room with Dean trailing behind him. Once they were in his room, Sam shut the door and rubbed his temples with a frustrated sigh.

“He’s not okay.”

“No. He’s not, Dean. And all that stuff? He didn’t know that before. I am _positive_ he didn’t know it before. It means he’s pulling information from somewhere else. And I don’t think he knows he’s doing it.”

“What’re you thinking?”

“Coyotl and Crow said Coyote took in the knowledge of something ancient.”

“So… Gabe’s leeching off Coyote’s memories?”

“Maybe. I don’t know. But I do know he didn’t know any of this before.”

Dean considered that. If Gabriel was remembering things that _only_ Coyote knew. What did that mean for her soul? Was she close? Or was it just residual from when they were all One? He didn’t want to get his brothers hopes up because for all they knew she was in Purgatory or being eaten by Cagn- or however that worked.

What did it even mean ‘going back to Cagn’?

“You should talk to him about this.”

“I don’t _trust_ him like this, Dean. Don’t pretend you don’t recognize it either. Last time he looked at us like this was in TV Land.”

“Yeah, well he pulled the protective eagle boyfriend crap despite his speech. Might be buried, but it’s there. This isn’t post-Purgatory. This is just some mental trauma. We’ve lived through it.”

“Whiskey and repression isn’t going to help him.”

“No, but it’ll be a good start. You two need to sit down and talk because I’m not gonna sit and watch you mope around for the next six months while you dance around each other like it’s a freaking school prom. Kiss and work it out. Because he’s not sleepin’ in my bed until he’s back together.”

Sam glared at him and Dean grinned back. “You’d leave me to fend for myself against the undersized octopus?”

“Yeah. Because nothing is worse than waking up with your brother wrapped around you like you’re supposed to be his damned little spoon.” Dean shuddered at the memory. Awkward and uncomfortable and only something that had started up in the last few months. During times in which he had no doubt in his Loki aspect was mostly at the reigns.

“Ugh. Didn’t need that visual.”

“Your boyfriend. And I don’t want the specifics of whatever crap you get up to in here. You know I’m right.”

“Not yet. I can’t do that yet. Not until I can figure out… _who_ he is. Coyote fought for humanity. Gabriel and Loki didn’t and Kali and Cas both said he went to Hell.”

Dean frowned then. Realized what angle Sam was coming from. “You don’t think Gabe would let Michael out, do you?”

“Michael begs him every time he visits. I’m worried that without that loyalty to humanity, he might do something stupid.”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this but… you’re wrong.”

“What?”

“They didn’t go through what Cagn did to them just to forget to give a damn about us. The whole point of it was to punish them for what he did in Mystery Spot. He’s still got that human experience lurking somewhere in his head. With or _without_ Coyote.”

Sam looked away, shaking his head. “I know you hate this crap.”

“You’re right. I do. But you’re my brothers and both of you are absolute nightmares when you’re not communicating. So, go talk and stop hiding in your damned bedroom because you know he can’t eavesdrop in here if you don’t want him to. Keep me out of the middle of your damned chick flick.”

Of course, when they went back in the living room, Fenrir had returned from the store and Jörmun was with him. The two having a low conversation in the living room with Gabriel.

“What do you mean Hela wants nothing to do with me? I’m her _Father_.”

“She’s angry with Veles.”

“I’m not Veles! And she’s _locked me out_. Why? Why does she think this is okay!”

Dean grimaced. Hela was Loki’s favorite. Dean knew she was. What kind of betrayal would that be to him? How would he respond if he had kids? Their Dad had _always_ been pissed when Sam took off.

“Because she’s being stupid.” Jörmun said, holding his hands up. “And because she’s terrified.”

“It doesn’t give her a damned right to lock me out. _Get her_ , Jöry. _Now_.”

“I’ll try but she won’t come.” With a sigh, Jörmun disappeared.

“I’m going to kill your sister.” Gabriel scowled, collapsing down onto the couch. “Kill her.”

“She is just hurt.” Fenrir said placatingly.

“Yeah, well she should _talk_ to me rather than condemning me to death! Seriously. Dying is sort of permanent. I can replace whatever she lost with a few careful words. Probably. Anyways, Sam, Dean. Tell me. You finished with your super-secret meeting that I apparently couldn’t eavesdrop on?”

So, Sam _could_ bar Gabe from his room. For a moment Dean wondered when that had happened. He also kind of wished he knew the trick. He’d need to ask his brother about it at some point.

“This entire thing’s screwed, Gabe.”

“You don’t say? Of course it’s screwed. But, hey. I’m getting an idea. It’s a bit muddled but I suppose when part of you ceases exist that kind of thing happens to you. So, where’s your not-girlfriend? I thought she’d be lurking.”

“She isn’t my girlfriend and I don’t know.”

“Well that’s a damn shame. I need to know how to break into Purgatory.”

“You said that Coyote isn’t there.”

“Well, she’s not. But the Devil is and I need him here so I can shove him back in The Cage. Repair the damage. Before Lucifer figures out how to use the Devil to do exactly what he’s trying to do with me.”

“Seems like an oversight for him not to consider that.” Sam was frowning. Clearly shocked. Like Lucifer screwing up was a _bad_ thing.

“It’s not an oversight. It’s just… complicated. If Lucifer uses his own soul, he risks killing himself. If he uses Coyote’s soul one of two things happens. One, not just that portion but all of me explodes. Which would mean nothing at all good for anyone on Earth or wherever I was when the explosion happened. A combination of grace and soul detonating would be equal to a nuke. Not pretty. I like existing. Two, it destroys The Cage. Effectively releasing Michael and Lucifer both to most likely finish what they’ve been wanting to do for thousands of years. So… Earth gets nuked in the crossfire. Well, depending on how you two go about your yeses and nos that is. I can’t see Sam doing it after The Cage but I can absolutely see Michael getting your yes, Dean.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dean demanded. What the hell?

“It means you’ve gone soft, Dean-o. You aren’t the hardened and tough as nails hunter that was there during The Apocalypse. World hasn’t tried to end in a few years. You aren’t prepared anymore. You’ve gone _domestic_. I mean, not near as bad as Sammy here but still pretty damned domestic. Dog, house in… well actually it’s under my name. But you have a memory foam bed and a damned flatscreen TV.”

“I haven’t gone soft! And even if I had, then what? After you died for the planet, you’d just let your ex use me like some damned prom dress? We’re brothers, Gabe.”

“God, I told you everything, didn’t I? Not my ex. We weren’t ever… a couple. Just… close.” In love. The words that Dean could see hiding behind the words because Gabriel hadn’t hid it from him in Purgatory. It was him staying quiet for Sam’s sake. Because he did still care.

“Yeah, yeah. Closer than you were with Lucifer and Raphael. I know the whole story, Gabe. Point stands. You’re telling me you’d turn your back on us?”

“No!” Gabriel was angry now, throwing his arm over his eyes with an exasperated sigh. “I’d _fight_ him because apparently I give a damn. And I would _die_ because I can’t win against them. And only God knows what would happen when Dean says yes because you two are absolutely _stupid_ and why the hell did I have to get tangled up with either of you in any sort of way?”

Before Sam could protest Gabriel was gone from the couch and Dean groaned in annoyance at the PDA when Gabriel grabbed Sam by the back of his hair to drag him down into a kiss.

A kiss that Dean definitely did _not_ look at, jerking his head to the side to stare at Fenrir who was staring on in amusement.

“Really?”

“Gabe-” Sam started in protest.

“I need a minute with my boyfriend!” Gabriel declared with a snap of his fingers, the two likely disappearing from the room.

“He’s your dad.” Dean finally managed.

“So? Can’t tell me you didn’t watch yours makeout or even do the dirty when you were little. None of you ever had that sort of privacy. I have no doubt you’ve seen your brother in just as compromising positions.”

“It doesn’t mean I _want_ to see.”

“I don’t want to see. But I hardly see a reason to look away.”

“How about common decency? Aren’t you supposed to be human now?”

“It’s adorable that you think modesty is human nature. I want things to be repaired between them. That is proof that there is hope.” Fenrir turned to the TV where he flipped over to the news where they were talking about a drastic change in-

What the hell?

He dropped down, staring at the screen and listening as the two newscasters very carefully discussed the topic at hand.

_Fertility rate decrease strikes the US._

Despite the headline it was very clearly _not_ just the US. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard about it. It had been sneaking into news outlets for months now. But Dean hadn’t thought a lot about it.

Until now.

“Sam!” He called out, hoping to whatever God there may be that his brother was decent. “Get your ass in here! Fen- you know how to use that remote. Pause it.”

Fenrir fiddled with the remote before the screen froze, the door creaking open a minute later.

“Be decent.” He all but begged before turning to look at the door where his brother was wearing an annoyed expression, Gabriel just past his shoulder. Annoyed and flustered.

“Where is Sam’s shirt?” The tattoo Gabriel had embedded in his brother’s skin glared at him from beneath the anti-possession sigil. Like some terrible twist of fate.

“I got rid of them all. You ruin my fun, I ruin yours. What do you want?”

“This.” Dean rolled his eyes before pointing towards the TV.

“So? Humans experience fertility crisis’s all the time. Doesn’t mean the world’s ending.”

“Shut up.” Sam gestured towards Gabriel without looking away from the screen when Fenrir rewound it and pressed play. Listening to the same discussion he just did.

“What?”

“It’s not a fertility crisis. Most people just _aren’t_ getting pregnant.” Dean explained. “Last year, I stumbled across a few different news articles of people talking about whether or not the planet could support the growing human population.”

“When did it start?” Gabriel asked, quickly grasping his concern.

“They’re thinking seven months ago.” Sam muttered, Fenrir pausing the TV when they changed topics. Silence stretched for almost a solid moment before Sam spoke again. “If you wanted to wipe out the human race, what better way to confirm it than make sure we can’t procreate?”

“Lucifer didn’t do this.” Gabriel’s tone was defensive, quick. Gaze settling on Sam. “Say what you will about my brother. I can gladly say a _lot_ about the dick. But a slow slaughter of the human race isn’t his style. It’s way too… painless.”

“Do I need to remind you about what I told you before you went into your coma?”

“No. But that’s an entirely separate set of circumstances. Lucifer respects you in his own screwed up twisted way. Ruining your chance at a perfect apple pie life is a tame way to ruin the rest of your life. When he wipes out the human race, he’ll want a hands-on approach.” What the hell were they talking about? What had Lucifer done to his brother? Ruining- _oh crap_. He really didn’t want to know the specifics of that conversation. Why Sam would’ve told Loki that. But he did really wonder _why_ Sam knew he… wasn’t fertile. It meant that there had been a reason for him to worry. Why? Who? When?

“Croatoan wasn’t hands-on.” Sam reminded Gabriel, turning away. “Croatoan was a plague that would’ve killed us all.”

“Yes, but he would’ve been here to watch it. It would’ve been bloody and detrimental. Lucifer isn’t going to wipe the human race out from within The Cage. Let me talk to Thor. Ask around about the other fertility Gods.”

“Didn’t Thor threaten to kill you?”

“A lot of people have threatened to kill me, Sammy. Kali and the Devil are the only ones on Earth that can. I can handle death threats from Thor.”

“I want to come with you.”

“Sam-”

“Take him, Father. Thor has a soft spot for Hunters.” Fenrir spoke up, “You take him, Thor gives you time to talk before sending Asgard after you.”

“And then he tries to _kill_ him because he’s a damned Winchester.”

“Thor’s not your problem. The problem is Freyja. But she doesn’t rule Asgard, Thor does. Go as Loki. _Not_ Gabriel. You were close companions once.”

“Fine.” Gabriel huffed an irritated sigh. “Before you argue, Dean. I know you’re coming too. Fen?”

“I am forbidden from Asgard. Even if I was not, I would never return. Far too much has happened.”

“Do you want me to take you home?”

Home. In _Alaska_ because apparently that was where Fenrir had chosen to live.

“Would you? Now that you have recovered… I would prefer to be in my isolation.” Gabriel muttered something unintelligible before pulling his son into a hug. “If I see Hela, I will try to get her to see reason.”

“Thanks, kiddo.” Gabriel stepped back. “But don’t make her hate you for it. Our family can’t afford to be fighting right now.” Then he snapped his fingers, leaving the three of them in the room. “For reference, boys. If Lucifer had the power to destroy the human race’s fertility, he would have done it before The Cage. This is something else.”

“Or you’re wrong and he’s wreaking havoc out here from inside The Cage.” Sam huffed. Frustration rolling off him in waves.

“That’s why we’re going to talk to Thor. To find out what the fertility Gods know. A lot of them rely on human fertility to use portions of their powers.”

“What do Tricksters rely on?” Dean asked, eyeballing their resident Trickster minus one.

_Coyote. Really sucks that you’re gone._

“Cagn’s their power source.” Gabriel reminded him like he was an idiot. Like it was a stupid thing to have forgotten. Which yeah. He _had_ known but Sam and the entire God hoard had been actively keeping him out of the Trickster loop like he was some fragile little doll.

“Before we go, can I have my shirts back?” Sam spoke up.

“Why? Most people in Asgard don’t wear shirts.” Gabriel grinned at his boyfriend who glared back at him. “Fine! Father, help me you’re no fun.”

Gabriel snapped his fingers, at the same moment someone knocked on the door.

“Expecting someone?” Gabriel asked when Dean frowned, eyeballing the front door like it was a foreign object. No one knocked on that door. Krypto barked at it, tail wagging violently behind him. Crouching down as Dean approached it.

“Who is it?” He asked, picking up the shotgun they kept in the trashcan next to the door.

“It’s me!” That voice-

 _Ah hell_.

He didn’t lower the shotgun when he pulled the door open, glaring at Phoenix.

“Woah, woah, woah!”

“What in the _hell_ are you doing here? How did you get our address!”

“Put up your gun, Dean!” Gabriel shouted, snapping his fingers to make the weapon disappear. “What-”

“I’ve been calling you idiots for _two weeks_.” Phoenix huffed in annoyance, shoving through the door with a complete and utter disregard for any sort of semblance they may have had of privacy from the fanboy. “Seriously. _Two weeks_.”

“Things have been a bit rough around here. I’ve been in a coma for the last month.”

“Since Coyote died.” Phoenix said blandly, everyone going dead silent to stare at the orange haired man. “I know.”

“Why don’t you give a damn?”

“Because I’ve had a month to grasp that she’s dead. And because none of you can be bothered to pick up the _phone_. I’m not some tech freak and I didn’t know _what_ name your place was under. Just that you had a house _somewhere_ in the States.”

“What are you _doing_ here, Phoenix? I thought we made our thoughts-”

“Yes, yes. I know. I make you uncomfortable. I had this talk with Loki before the wedding. I promised I’d keep my distance from you two and I _planned_ to.”

“But?” Dean prompted, not in the mood to listen to him drag out the conversation for forever because that was something that he was absolutely great at doing and they had somewhere to be.

“ _But_ ,” Phoenix continued with an exasperated sigh, raking a finger through his hair. “I got this.” It took him a minute to rifle through his purse before he procured a large yellow envelope. The words ‘DO NOT OPEN WHAT’S INSIDE’ was written on the cover in big red text.

“That’s my handwriting.” Gabriel took it from Phoenix. “It’s addressed to you.” Gabriel examined the back. “You opened it.”

“Of course I did. It doesn’t say not to open the envelope. Just the contents. There was a letter for me. And one for you. Also, this weird-”

“-animal skin.” Gabriel finished for him, pulling something familiar out. Like the scroll that he’d seen Sam carrying around. “What is this?”

“It’s a Death Mark.” Sam said, moving up to grab it from Gabriel’s hand. “Don’t look at it.”

“What- Death Marks don’t exist anymore.” So Sam explained to Gabriel the same thing he’d explained a few weeks back about what they’d uncovered in Cagn’s home. “You’re kidding me.”

“They believe it.”

“I don’t. Why did she leave you this and not us, Phoenix? Why did she leave you anything rather than telling us something! I don’t remember her but she’s apparently some part of me. Why-”

“Because she wanted you to figure some of it out before you got that.”

“What do you know?”

“Not much.” Phoenix admitted. “But- there’s something in there. For Sam.”

Gabriel peeked down in the bottom of the envelope, all of the color draining from his face. Jaw dropping a bit.

“Gabe?”

Sam snagged the envelope from him and looked down into the bottom.

His eyes went bug eyed and he reached into the bottom, pulling something small from the bottom. “Coyote.” He murmured. While Dean couldn’t see what it was, he began to suspect what it may be. “Did you know about this?”

“I- me and Loki- I mean…” Gabriel shifted uncomfortably, shutting his eyes. “I… I don’t know. I thought but- I mean…” His gaze flicked to Sam’s hand then back to Sam. “No.”

“This is what I was afraid of.” Sam’s tone was undecipherable. Something he couldn’t describe. Betrayal mixed with something else.

“Time to go, Phoenix. Thanks for the help. Really, it was great.”

“Dean-”

“Get the hell out of my house before I _shoot_ you.”

“Thank you, Phoenix. I’ll visit soon. I swear.” It was an absent gesture when Gabriel snapped his fingers. “Sam, don’t-”

“Commitment scares you, Gabe. I know that. Clearly _Coyote_ knew because she left me a God damned ring that doesn’t mean _crap_ to you. You know that this ring is? It’s a test. It’s a trial.”

“Sam.” Dean tried to cut his brother off.

“Coyote apparently knew she was going to die. But she didn’t have a damned clue what would happen to you when she did.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Sam.”

“I want to hear you say it. Tell me you don’t give a damn.”

“I do.” Gabriel paused, shifted from one foot to the next. Dean could all but see his feathers ruffling behind him, anxious. Apologetic. “I do give a damn. And I do love you. I’m old, though. I’m so damned old and I _can’t_ do that.”

“Get out.”

“No.”

“God damn it, Gabe!”

“Dean-”

“Already on it.” He didn’t need to be asked twice, heading straight for the door with Krypto on his heels. This argument was so out of his depth he didn’t have a damned clue how to help either of his brothers.


	13. Gabriel and Loki and The Harsh Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel comes across a realization after figuring out that he needs to split himself.

.-~*~-.  
**GABRIEL** **  
** *~-.-~*

Gabriel stumbled back when Sam shoved his chest, ground his teeth together. “Sam, I’m  _sorry_  if-”

His words died in his throat when Sam dragged him up into a biting kiss. A clashing of tongue and teeth that he unwittingly surrendered to, wrapping his arms around the other man’s neck and wrapping his legs around his waist.

“You swore.” Gabriel flinched slightly when he was pushed up into the wall, groaned in frustration. “Why did you  _lie_  to me?”

“You can’t hold me accountable, Sam. Not right now. I don’t know if Coyote did that for the reason you think but what I do know is she’s not known for getting off on hurting those she cares about. Maybe it’s a damned  _promise_  for if we get her back. We don’t know. I wish I had the answers, Sam. I wish I could tell you that I see a future for the next hundred years. But I don’t. Not right now. Everything from the last- God four? Five? However many years. It’s all  _jumbled_. I love you. Dean’s my brother. But I’m having hell piecing it all-” He flinched when Sam’s weight on him increased. If he was human it would’ve been a hell of a lot more uncomfortable, probably bordering on painful. “Damn it, Sam! What do you want from me?!”

“I don’t know.” Laying his head on his shoulder, Sam sighed deeply. “I don’t know. We can’t work like this, though. This- it can’t be an  _us_  until you’re…  _you_  again.”

“And if we’re  _not_  your definition of ‘you’ again?” Gabriel wasn’t sure what he wanted the answer to be at that point. Breaking it off would be cleaner. Easier in the long term. But Sam wasn’t easy. Never had been. And the very foundation of their relationship was proving his point. Because he wasn’t  _just_  him.

“We’ll cross that bridge.” Sam murmured, releasing him. His legs shook beneath him a bit when he was left to stand, back against the wall.

 _‘Loki_.’ He reached inwards, wrapping around that portion of his soul he knew so well. His soul. Part of his soul.  _‘This can’t be right, can it? We can’t be this. We need to be we. Not me. Come on We need to be_ us _. Us.’_

His back slid down the wall, eyes closing.

“Gabriel?”

“I need a sec here, Sam.” He waved his boyfriend - _no. Not boyfriend for now_ \- Sam off. “Then we’ll go to Asgard. Figure out the ebbing fertility in the human race. Find Order. Find where the Devil is. But I need five minutes in my head.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I need to be two places at once. Well, actually. Three. But that’s not an option right now.”

“You’re trying to split yourself?”

“Yes, I know I’ve tried before but fifty fifty has gotta be easier, right?”

Sam didn’t look convinced but he didn’t argue it either, instead going to the kitchen one of the flower pots to pull out a chocolate bar he tossed to him. “I’m not having sex with Loki if you do.”

“I know.” Gabriel shut his eyes and stepped into himself.

Walking into his mental landscape wasn’t like dreamwalking. It took effort and concentration. Use of Trickster magic that in the end of it all was just borrowed. Cagn’s stash of power.

It took about five minutes of toying with things before Gabriel was able to open the right passage.

Settle into a clearing where a wolf and bluebird were curled up.

“Gabriel.” The moment he turned around he was met with a fist to his jaw.

It was unexpected and had him reeling, falling back and staring in astonishment at Loki when she glared down at him.

“You stupid, son of a bitch!”

“Loki-”

“You  _don’t_  speak for me! You don’t  _get_  to do that. We are  _not_  One and you’re out there parading like we’re functioning on the same damned wavelength!”

“I thought we were!” It hadn’t occurred to him for a moment that they  _weren’t_. It hadn’t  _felt_  like they were more than One.

“I want out. I need to fix this with Sam. Because you screwed it up.”

“I didn’t lie to him!”

“No. But you didn’t tell him the whole truth. We’ve been through this game, Gabe. Body sharing only works when we communicate. We  _have_  to communicate.”

“I didn’t know you weren’t… we weren’t. I thought-”

“I know what you thought.” Loki was glaring down at him, arms crossed over her chest. The wolf in the distance growled low in its throat and he grimaced. Struggling to his feet. “We need to split.”

“I don’t know how.” They’d done it. Recently. But the information of how was scattered. Muddled alongside a good handful other things. Gaps where they shouldn’t be. Nothing like it had been after his resurrection. Too definite. Too constraining. Like his mind had tried to rewrite itself to accommodate for something that was now gone. But he knew full well memories couldn’t be completely rewritten. Souls couldn’t be picked apart to repair that damage. Grace couldn’t completely forget anything. Not once it knew.

“We have to figure it out. We  _have_  to. Because there’s too much going on for us not to.”

“You sure as hell were fine being alone out there.”

“I didn’t- What do you want? To punch me again? Beat the crap out of me? Smother me in my sleep? I argued with Sam. I love him but can’t promise him an eternity. Not when I’m an eternity old.”

“You can promise him the rest of his life. Because that’s all he has  _ever_  asked. He’s not asking for a whole lot and it’s not something we  _can’t_  give him. I don’t remember Coyote. But I remember the stories. The same stories you remember. You owe this to the one damned Trickster that tried to do good. Maybe you don’t owe it to me because I was a worthless God. But, hey. I didn’t toss Sam’s feelings aside like he meant nothing.”

Gabriel looked away, wings curling inwards. “It was you. The ring was because of  _you_. Because I’m the angel. The soulless one that was doomed to break his damned heart. She  _knew_  what I would do. Because I smothered you. Probably the both of you.” Biting into his cheek, Gabriel wiped at his eyes. Water. Tears. He was crying. Crying for someone he didn’t remember. For the aching guilt in his gut. Like he’d done something terrible.

“We can’t work together, Loki. Because I will smother you.” It was clear. Like a door opening. Revealing a secret. “An eternity will always outweigh thousands of years. I will ruin this relationship.”

“You try to make it work.”

“And I fail. Every time.”

Breathing out, he looked towards the wolf and bird. The manifestations that looked lonely. Sad. Mournful. Knew more than they could. Because souls, grace, they didn’t forget.

“Gabriel.”

“Loki.” He said quietly, spreading his wings and flapping them once.

In the hall, Gabriel’s eyes opened and he walked into the living room without saying a word, knelt down to touch Loki’s face.

“You did it.” Sam said from behind him.

“I’ll be in Purgatory.” Gabriel disappeared.

.-~*~-.  
**LOKI**  
*~-.-~*

Loki came to slowly, groaning and rubbing her temples. The argument with Gabriel had left her with a pounding headache. So did the knowledge that she was  _free_. It felt like she’d been there for years. Trapped in her own damned head. Screaming for freedom. Confused and disoriented as all hell.

“Loki?” She almost cried at the concern in his voice.

But only almost.

She groaned, finally prying her eyes open. Sam was leaning over her, expression etched with concern. “I love you, Sam. Marry me.”

“Loki-”

“I mean it.  _Marry me_. Screw Gabe. Screw whatever the hell he thinks. That wasn’t an  _us_. That was a  _him_. It was a One. Not a Two. Marry me.”

“I can’t do this right now. Loki-”

“If we were Three… would you do it? Would you say yes?” Three. It felt right, even when it didn’t feel familiar. A third instead of a half.

Less than a half. An eighth. Gabriel seven-eighths. Because she wasn’t more than him. She was the bug. The background part. A fraction of a history that predated time.

It made sense that there had to be another. Someone to balance things.

“If you were three instead of two. Yes. I would. But-”

“He was smothering me. Crushing me and I didn’t have a  _damned_  say.”

“Like possession.”

Possessed. Like it wasn’t her body at all. Like she wasn’t part of the equation. She  _knew_  what possession was. But experiencing it was something else. Not to mention Gabriel was rightfully an angel. Not supposed to possess without consent.

It was a convoluted mess, she realized as Sam wrapped her in a hug. Because she was still part of him. They were  _technically_  the same person. Possession rules weren’t the same when it was your body. Your soul.

It didn’t make it a damned difference though. Not when Gabriel’s stupid ass had put a fracture between them and their boyfriend.

“Gabriel wants Michael free.” She muttered. “With us divided, she has no one to reign in the stupid idea that he can be saved. Because they’re brothers and Gabriel wants to believe that his brother can be saved.”

“He can’t do that without-”

“If he can convince Michael to give up his Grace, Gabriel can pull him out of The Cage. Just like Castiel did with your body. We’ve known it for… a long time. But until now he’s never too heavily considered the concept of doing it.”

“If he did- what could Michael do? As a human.”

“As a human, he could still unite a portion of Heaven. We haven’t ever been able to gauge the state he’s in. Besides desperate.”

“Alright. Well… we can drag him back. Trap him in the basement. Make him see reason.”

“You know that won’t work.” Loki put the heels of her hand against her eyes, relished for a moment in the free movement as she climbed off the couch. “Just- need a sec.” She summoned a sucker and popped it into her mouth, closed her eyes then opened them. Flexed her fingers and rolled her shoulders. “Where is the scroll?”

“You can’t look at it.”

“I wasn’t going to. Where is it, Sam?”

“It’s locked in our room with the other one I have. Safe.”

“Did you try to read it?”

“It drove Coyote mad to read the scroll. I’d rather not risk it.”

“Right.” She was moving still, pacing back and forth across the room.

God, this sucked. It wasn’t like when she’d come back from Purgatory. The gaps were like scars. Trying to repair themselves but not quite the same as everything around them. An itch she couldn’t scratch at.

“Sam, I know you don’t want sex or anything to do with me like this but... Can I see the tattoo? Please?”

Sam frowned at him but nodded, unbuttoning the flannels and revealing the skin beneath. Sam didn’t protest when she unceremoniously dropped into his lap to touch the names. Three. Enochian wasn’t his language but he knew it. Was just barely able to decipher it. He touched them, shut his eyes.

Three different markings.

“Lo-”

“Sh.” She followed the tethers. The first reached across dimensions. Gabriel. He wasn’t in Purgatory yet but he could feel Kali’s presence wherever he was.

 _'Kali, stall him. As long as you can.’_ The prayer was swift before she jumped to the next link.  _Loki_. Bouncing back almost immediately.

Hers.

The third was an unfamiliar and broken off connection. Still there. Worn and fractured but true enough that it would never really fade. Not even with death.

Loki wondered if Coyote knew.

“I might be able to get an idea of where Coyote's soul is. But… I’ll need help.”

“Who’s?” Hope. God, he hoped he wasn’t getting Sam’s hopes up.

“It won’t be precise. But it will potentially indicate a plane. Whether she’s in the veil or an afterlife or even Earth. If she isn’t in Purgatory, she is with Cagn. Pinpointing a precise location isn’t going to be easy but it is possible. With help.”

“Whose help?”

“Freyja and Hela. And, no. I’m not kidding. But it’s fine. She’ll see reason.”

“Which one?”

Loki grimaced a bit, looked at the wall where a picture of her and three of her kids hung. “If I have it my way, both of them. Are you ready to go?”

“As ready as I’ll be.” Sam told him honestly.

“Perfect.” Loki turned to the door when Dean pushed it open. Krypto bounding in to all but hug Loki around the side, tail wagging violently behind him, tongue lolling out. “Hey, my little pain in the ass. You should’ve told the big idiots that Gabriel was being a complete dick.”

Krypto barked in return and she laughed, kissing his nose.

“Sam?”

“Gabriel’s gone. It’s Loki.”

“Yes. For the first time since we get out of our coma, I might add. Gabriel was completely playing like he was Us. Yes, he was. Wasn’t he, Krypto?” Krypto barked in agreement.

“You weren’t One?”

“Nope. Gabe was using our very… fragile connection to function like we were One. Didn’t have a damned clue he was doing it either.”

“Shouldn’t this be like… fifty fifty?” Dean was staring at her with something that was almost pity. Somewhere on the line of empathy.

“Fifty fifty is crap.” Loki moved Krypto to the floor, kissed the top of his head. “And Gabe is a dick. I don’t know Coyote but having someone else to help counterbalance him has to be better than  _this_. So, let’s go.”

When they arrived in Asgard, it wasn’t exactly a welcome party. On top of Thor’s loyal followers, they were swarmed by a good chunk of very familiar Valkyrie. Spears to their chests and backs.

“Hey, guys.” Loki spread his arms to the side, kicking Dean in the calf when he didn’t do the courtesy of surrendering. “C’mon. We can talk about this.”

“You aren’t welcome here.”

“I’ve heard that before.” Loki grinned, stepping up to the woman in front of her. “Hilde.”

“Hela has given me permission to stab you in the stomach, Loki.”

“I’m sure that’s going around. I’m here to speak with Thor and Freyja. If your orders were to kill me on sight, I would be dead.” Her hand curled around the hilt of the spear and she stepped closer, grinding her teeth at the pain as the sharp point started to cut into her flesh. “You don’t scare me.”

“I should. I should slice your guts from your belly. I hear Tricksters aren’t what they once were.”

“I hear the Valkyrie are getting lazy. I bet you couldn’t throw me across the room.”

“And I bet you couldn’t make it fun. Monogamy isn’t a pretty look for you.”

“I’m pretty in a lot of ways now, Hilde. Pretty in all your  _favorite_  ways.”

“Are they flirting?” Dean’s voice was barely inaudible behind her. Astounded. Maybe slightly pissed.

“We’re not exclusive.” Sam answered just as quietly. The fact that he didn’t mention their current separation gave her hope. 

“I’m not interested in you, Loki.”

“You sure were when I was married. What? Is an engaged woman not the same to you as a married man?”

Hilde looked past her, her gaze settling firmly on the brothers. “He’s attractive. Which one’s the boyfriend?”

“The hot one. I’m sure if you ask nicely, the brother will play ball.”

Hilde smirked at Dean, smiling sharply. “I would rip them apart. Tell Sibbe that the father has finally arrived.” Two of the Valkyrie disappeared and most of the weapons were lowered.

“Are Sibbe and Hela still doing the dirty?” She asked, grinning.

“They’re engaged. Not that you would know. You’re too invested with your new family to know this.” After Sibbe gestured, Thor’s lackeys disappeared. Leaving them with the Valkyrie spears at their backs.

“I’m plenty invested. It’s not my fault she cold shouldered me because Veles was being a dick.”

“You’re her father. You have responsibilities.”

“She’s a full grown woman. It’s not my responsibility to make her choices for her. I’d like to think the years of parental love I put in, the ones that  _ruined_  my marriage, I might add, have been enough.”

“Stupidity ruined your marriage. Not parenting.”

“And my lack of communication didn’t make her loathe me. She hates me because of something I was  _not_  responsible for. She wished me dead because of someone else.”

She leaned into Sam’s side out of reflex, exhaling deeply. “But fine. She can hate me. I don’t need her to love me.”

“You want her help.”

“No. I  _need_  her help. There’s a difference.”

“You didn’t come to visit Hela, Loki and try as you may, you didn’t come to visit me.”

“Is that so?” Loki hummed, knocking a lamp off a table as they moved down the too-long hallway.

“You brought the pretty one.”

“I’m not pretty.” Dean scowled.

“You’re a very pretty boy. Loki would only bring a pretty one to try to butter Thor up.”

“Maybe aesthetic purposes. This one’s off limits.” Loki cut in before Dean could argue with her. “But maybe just a bit. I’d prefer he didn’t do what I know Freyja wants and kill me on sight.”

“You brought me-”

“Dean, I know you’re my brother. But I’m not stupid enough to think you aren’t attractive. Thor likes… a certain type.”

“Loki. Please, stop talking.” Sam smacked the back of her head. “Dean, Gabe and Fen made it clear as to why they were bringing us to visit with Thor. Shut up and take it as a damned compliment so I never ever have to remember that my boyfriend also known as your brother was calling you attractive.”

Snickering, Loki tilted her head up to meet Sam’s gaze.

“Am I forgiven?”

“Not at all.” Sam kissed her quickly. Just a soft brush of lips that told her more than words could. A silent apology.

He believed her.

“Stop.” Hilde held up her hand when they stopped outside the door to Thor’s room.

“Really?”

“Sif and Thor are bonding.” Hilde answered before knocking on the door.

“Bonding.”

“Yes. Bonding. With someone you know, actually.” There was a smugness to Hilde’s tone. Taunting and amused.

“Please don’t-”

“What do you want?” The door flung open with the voice and Loki threw an arm over her eyes to shield herself from the very naked body in front of him. “Hilde! I told you-”

“Your Father’s here to see you, Hela.”

When Loki uncovered her eyes, Hela was thankfully clothed. Even if it wasn’t in the most modest of clothing. It was clothes.

“Thor! Odin’s killer is here to visit!”

Loki stumbled back when Hela swung for him. Just barely dodged the attempted swing from his daughter. “I am not-”

“You arrogant-”

“ _Loki_.” Hela shut up when Thor pushed his way out of the door, glancing between the three newcomers. “This is not okay. They are not welcome here.”

“I need to speak with you.”

“So, you bring me your boyfriend and his pretty brother. The answer is no, Loki. I should have you executed.”

“But you  _haven’t!_ ” Loki stepped up into Thor’s face, shoved at his chest. The God of Lightning and a hundred other damned things grabbed him by his wrist, leaned down so they were eye to eye. Lightning crackling deep in pale blue eyes. Rage of a thousand storms. “You don’t want to kill me. Freyja wants me dead. But she  _doesn’t_  run Asgard. You do. Odin is dead but his blood isn’t actually on  _my_  hands.”

“What do you  _want_ , Loki?” Thor shoved her back, probably wasn’t beating the ever-living crap out of her purely because of her recent becoming of a woman.

“I need Freyja’s help. And yours, Hela.”

“Burn in the place your other part calls Hell.” Hela retorted bitterly, turning and storming back into Thor’s room.

Yeah. He didn’t want to think about that.

“Freyja will never help you.” Thor waved his hand, a robe appearing over him as he began walking down the hallway. “And neither will I. You are to  _leave_ , Loki. You and those hunters aren’t welcome here.”

“Give me five minutes!”

“You have five seconds to get out.”

“This is  _important_ , damn it! I want five minutes to talk! Five damned minutes!” Thor whipped around when Loki grabbed his shoulder. “You cared at one point. You  _owe_  me.”

“I owe you nothing.”

“You owe me everything. Your kingdom would be in  _ruins_  if we hadn’t come to clean up the mess. The Pagans never would have won that war and you know it!” Thor shoved her back, not hard, but hard enough to make his point. Distance. Thor wanted her to keep  _distance_.

“What do you want me to do? Walk into Freyja’s throne room? Demand she has an audience with the man she blames for the death of her husband? Freyja’s only justice with you will be your death.”

“I  _did_  die. I died saving my wife’s life. I would’ve saved Odin too if he hadn’t charged into battle against an angry Archangel. I would’ve died for  _all of them_. But I didn’t. And my son  _exiled_  himself because of his involvement in that entire ordeal. So screw you and screw her. Odin is dead and if I had the power, I’d bring him back from Purgatory but I don’t and I can’t.”

“Freyja is never going to accept that.”

“Well then I guess she’ll have to kill me. Later. I’ll give  _permission_  to do it.”

“Loki, wait-”

“If she helps. I will let her kill me.  _That’s_  the length I’m willing to go to for this.”

“What is this? What are you asking for?” Thor’s tone was strained, astounded even. Maybe a bit cautious which was fair. Because she wasn’t known for honesty. But she was known for keeping her deals.

Thor could hate her at a later date for her betrayal. Because this was more important than Thor’s forgiveness. And a small lie in the face of a potential resolution was worth it. As long as it didn’t happen.

“From you, I need information on the fertility gods. From Freyja and Hela, I need assistance in finding my other portion.”

It took Thor a moment to answer, something quickly flashing across his expression. Something she didn’t catch. “The Coyote is gone? Or the Archangel?”

“Coyote is dead.”

“You aren’t particularly known for your killability. How can one of Three die?”

“I’ll let you know when I have an answer. So, will you help me?”

“I will discuss with Freyja. You get to deal with your daughter.”

“She’s your lover.” The words were uncomfortable.

“One time.” Thor defended and Loki felt her slowly simmering anger snap.

“ _My daughter_ , Thor. You traitorous, _níðingr!_ ” Loki punched him in the stomach. Tackled him, wrapped her hands around his throat. “We had an  _agreement_ , you dick! Never our kids!”

“We were  _drunk_.” Thor didn’t fight back, though. He let Loki beat the ever-living crap out of him. Because he had definitely  _earned_  it.

“Alright, time to get off of him.” Loki struggled against the two sets of arms that hauled her to her feet. “C’mon, Lo. Let it go.”

“Never again, Thor!”

“Never again.” Thor held his jaw, slowly getting to his feet to lean against the wall with a groan. “Promise.”

“Were you actually drunk?” She asked, leaning into the brothers’ sides.

Thor smiled uncomfortably, “The first time. Sif has a taste. Unfortunately, that taste is half-giant women.”

“Well find another woman. Or don’t  _let_ me find out that…  _this_  is still happening. Alright?”

“I promise you won’t know about it again. Let’s sit. Talk.” Thor waved a hand and they were in one of the living areas. Loki snatched up the bowl of chocolates and gave one to Sam before dropping down into the couch. “Sit.” Thor told the uncomfortable Hunters before settling into the recliner.

“You avoided the question about fertility.” Sam said when he settled near Loki- not next to her.

“Your fertility is reparable.” Thor answered Sam evasively, reminding Loki that Sam had that problem. Infertile. Because of Lucifer.

“What about the human race?” Dean asked, tone uncomfortable.

“I admit. We were sure you were somehow involved. There is… a reasonable explanation, though.”

“Which is?”

“All but three of the major fertility Gods and Goddesses are dead. Or dying.”

“I- what… why do none of us know this? Why is this-”

“Tricksters have always been the biggest communicators between realms. Hermes, Mercury. Your kind is mostly in hiding now, though. And yes, the human fertility crisis is concerning but it isn’t the crux of the issue.” Thor shifted, leaned forward to meet her gaze. “The crux is that gods are  _dying_. Humans are ebbing. Are you certain this has nothing to do with your brother?”

“My brother- what,  _Lucifer_? I’m not Gabriel, damn it. And Lucifer isn’t strong enough to do this. Especially from within his Cage.”

“And outside of it?”

“Sam.” Loki elbowed his hunter in the side.

“What? Um- I think she’s right. Wait, no. Loki, I’m  _not_  going to defend that sonofabitch. I don’t care-”

“See. I’m right.”

“Half agreement is not an agreement, Loki. If you want my help, you will be honest with me. Is it possible that Lucifer has something to do with this?”

“Not Lucifer… precisely.” Sighing, Loki reminded herself that this wasn’t to help Gabriel. This was going to lead her to Freyja’s help. Find out what it was the Coyote knew.

“The Devil.” Dean spoke up. “The Devil’s out, doing Lucifer’s bidding. Gabe was an idiot and bought it.”

“So the pretty one does know something.” Thor smirked at Dean, tilting his head to eyeball the human. “Perhaps you aren’t just a pretty man.”

“I’m not into monsters.”

“And, now I’m less interested. You say that the Devil has returned?”

“Yeah. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“Loki.” Thor didn’t look at her when he spoke, gaze planted firmly on Dean. It made her skin crawl just a bit but given the reason she brought him in the first place… yeah, absolutely her fault.

“Something damaged The Cage. Left a crack in it,” Loki admitted with a sigh.

“Is this something that we should be concerned about?”

“It’s being dealt with by Gabriel. Not our problem. Devil isn’t the problem and he’s not strong enough to do this.”

“What about the damage to The Cage?”

“It is going to be handled. By Gabriel.”

“Speaking like the other portion of you isn’t you does not redeem you in any sort of way. It also is highly evasive and unhelpful. Is your brother’s Cage going to release them?”

“No.” Loki bit down on her cheek, “Lucifer will  _stay_  in The Cage. We won’t let him out.”

“And Michael?” Loki averted his gaze. “ _Loki_.”

“I will do everything I can to stop Gabriel from making a stupid decision.  _To do that_ , though. I need Freyja and Hela’s help. I need to be one of Three, not one of Two. I  _can’t_  make Gabriel do a damned thing. But I’ve got to hope someone else being in our heads can make it right.”

“You aren’t making sense.” Thor looked back at her, frowning.

“That’s because you aren’t  _listening_. Stop eyeing my damned brother-in-law like a slab of meat!”

“I’m pretty sure that’s why you brought me.” Dean pointed out, not sounding at all bothered by the fact that Thor was doing exactly what he said. Damn it. She’d been so sure that Dean was straight with bicurious tendencies. Closeted enough he wouldn’t openly show interest. Then again, it was really hard  _not_  to be attracted to Thor.

“Go. Screw. See if I care. But  _get me Freyja_. Tell her my deal. Please, Thor. Pretty please.” Loki batted her eyes to the best of her ability and Thor gave her one of the single most unamused looks she’d received in years.

“You are not cute.”

“I am. That’s the problem. I know. You like tough women. Pretty men. Please, Thor. Do this for me. I’ll make it up to you.”

“Bring Odin back.”

“Thor-”

“If you make the effort, you can bring him back. Odin is simple in comparison to ripping Coyote’s soul out of Cagn. Those are my terms. Odin, or I tell my army to slaughter you all like I should have done when you arrived.”

“I don’t have a choice, do I?” Loki asked, groaning and shifting in her seat.

“No. You don’t. And you don’t get to trick your way out of this. You may screw Freyja in your bargain, but you will  _not_  with me. If you do, I will take your head off with my hammer.”

“Fine. I’ll get Odin back. I’ll do everything I can to get him back. Even if I have to crawl through Purgatory. I’ll get him back for you.”

“Wonderful. I’ll contact Freyja. You can go now. I will reach out when all is done.”

“Great. Ready, boys?”

“Wait. Before you go.  _Heal me_. I don’t have the patience to wait for these wounds to heal.”

“No way. I heal you, you go and screw the next pretty thing that moves. You have work to do.”

“Heal me, Loki.”

Scowling, Loki lifted a hand and snapped. Frowned when her powers did nothing. “That’s not good.” She snapped twice more before the battered skin on the God healed… mostly.

“You really aren’t okay, are you?”

“I’ve been worse. I was human. You’ll live with a broken nose and… maybe cheekbone? Alright, boys. Ready?”

“I’m staying.”

“God damnit. First my daughter. Now my brother. Can this day get any worse?”

“Come on, drama queen.” Sam got to his feet, dragging Loki up with him.

“Does the horror ever end?”

“Loki.”

“Fine. Bring him back in one piece, Thor. I don’t need a dead brother on my hands. Whatever that means to me.”

“Humans are so breakable, though.” Thor grinned at him, all teeth and amusement. “Maybe you should stick around to make sure I stay out of trouble.”

“No, no, and  _hel_ no. You are on my very short list of  _nos_  now. Bye, Thor. Be careful, Dean-o. He’s a feisty one .”

Then her and Sam were gone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> níðingr - villain, vile person


	14. Coyote and Gabriel and The Dead They Knew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coyote tries to remember how she died and Gabriel sees someone in Purgatory he never thought he'd see again.

**.-~*~-.**  
COYOTE **  
*~-.-~***

Being dead was disorienting. Exhausting even. But it was better than last time. More concrete than the last time. She wasn’t falling a hundred million billion miles into the Earth and beyond. Wasn’t being drawn in and drowned in the Grace of thousands of brothers and sisters.

It was ease. Comfort. A wistful land of unimaginable potential. A yellow brick road that lead her through trees of pinks and purples and a thousand other shades of the rainbow.

The best part of death, though… was Anansi.

Anansi had welcomed her with open arms while they navigated the landscape in silence. Comfortable and easy. She missed Crow, Coyotl. Sam too. But death happened. And while she couldn’t remember her cause of death, she knew it must have been important. Very important.

Why was it important though? What was important about dying?

“Your thoughts are heavy, Coyote. What troubles you?”

“I don’t… I miss my Sam.” The confession was a heavy weight on her tongue. Peace didn’t mean she didn’t miss. Peace was comfort. Ease and understanding. “Why did I die, Anansi?”

“The question isn’t why.” He answered, soft and affirming. “The question is how. How did you die?”

Her eyes closed beneath a wild berry tree. Twisting and winding into the rainbow sky. Claws. Teeth. Feathers in her vision.

“Veles.”

“How did Veles kill you?” An arm wrapped around her waist, delicate fingers tracing patterns into the soft flesh of her side as they continued down the path. “Remembering our death is vital to accept what has happened. To move forward in this life.”

“We aren’t alive, though. We’re dead. We’re- we’re with Cagn… where is-”

“Quiet. Non-communitive.” Anansi answered the question before she could finish it. But that couldn’t be the answer. It wasn’t right.

“I need to speak with them. Urgently.”

“Coyote, they are quiet.” But that couldn’t be right. Because…

Why was she dead?

“Anansi.”

“I am here. Take your time.” She pressed against his side. Shut her eyes. Dead. She was dead. Why was it not a surprise? Why had Veles _killed_ her?

They hated each other. But Tricksters didn’t kill Tricksters. Couldn’t kill Tricksters. No matter the malice. It was unheard of.

“Who else is among us? Recently killed.” She asked, memories dancing around in the back of her mind.

“This isn’t about-”

“Six.” Coyote said suddenly, blinking as the numbers began to cycle around in her head. She met Anansi’s gaze, feeling surer than ever. “One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.” She ticked them off in the air, numbers manifesting next to her head as she went through the numbers again. “Help me, Anansi. Since I died. Who? How many?”

“Will this help you recall why you died, Coya?”

“Yes. Include my name. Please, Anansi.”

Anansi nodded, tapping the space beneath the numbers. Four names.

_Coyote. Azeban. Dolos. Lugh._

Four of six. Her eyes closed and she breathed deeply. Four. Four dead Tricksters. Four of six.

Who were the other two?

Why did it matter?

“Coyote.” Anansi repeated and she flicked her gaze to the names. The numbers. “Why did you let Veles kill you?”

“Six names.”

“Coyote.”

“I didn’t _let_ him kill me.” She muttered, turning to etch markings into the air in front of her. “I… did something else.” The markings came to life. The rough coyote knelt before the dragon bear, mouth moved without sound.

“You went to him. Even with the knowledge that he wanted you dead.”

“I asked him to kill me.” But she had reasons to live. Her gaze followed the floating etch of what could only be Veles. She didn’t remember it. But she knew it. “He told me no. That he wouldn’t give me death if I wanted it. But I knew better. The same reason I couldn’t kill myself, he couldn’t kill me. Tricksters _can’t_ do that.”

“So, you attacked him.” The etching of her lunged.

“No.” It cycled backwards. Returned to where it had been. Not an attack. “I told him the truth.”

“What truth is that?” Anansi asked, her entire being shutting down at the answer.

“Then he killed me. Violently. Bloodily. Because he hates me. But not because he wanted to. Because I gave him no choice.” The sketch of Veles dove down on the Coyote one. Blood splattered dramatically from the scene.

“What did you tell him, Coyote?”

“Six.” She murmured. “I told him six. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Six to five to four to three. Two then one. One to two. Two remain.”

“Coyote,” Anansi grabbed her by her shoulders and she tearfully met his gaze.

“Don’t leave me.”

“Never again, Coyote. I swear it.” He kissed her forehead and she crumbled into his arms with a sob.

“Six.”

“Sh…” He began to hum. Soft and gentle. Comfort and friendship. Eternal companionship. All the while she wept. Wept and begged for Cagn.

Talk. She had to talk to them. Or it was all for nothing.

 **.-~*~-.  
** GABRIEL  
 ***~-.-~***

Gabriel watched Kali work. She was fascinating. Beautiful even. It was easy to understand how they had once fallen for her.

How Sam had fallen into that same trap.

“I was sure Loki would have told you to slowplay me.” Gabriel mused, watching her etch markings into the ground.

“She did. I don’t take orders from any of you.”

“Yet, you’re helping me.”

“I’m helping myself. Our agendas line up in this case. You want to return the Devil to his prison, I want him out of the way before he does something outlandishly stupid.”

“I have to admit, I don’t understand your motivations.”

“That’s because you are broken, Gabriel. If you weren’t damaged like this, you would completely understand my motivations.”

“I’m fine. Nothing has changed.”

“No, you’re right. Nothing has changed. Ah, except one vital aspect of your personality. The empathetic part. Loki was always _awful_ at empathy. And angels? You aren’t known for caring for anything beneath you. Loki’s bout with humanity helped her. So did Coyote. But Cagn never should have left you with the Hunters because you learned nothing about mortality.”

“You’re wrong. I went through _Hell_ as a human.”

Kali didn’t answer him as she finished marking the ground. “Just stand here and it will take you to Purgatory. Getting back out is your own problem.”

“I’ve escaped before.” Gabriel reminded her and she scoffed, raised a brow at him.

“You escaped with the help of your brother and blood brother. I truly hope you don’t die, though. I don’t know what the world will do with a grief-stricken Loki as the only remaining part of you.”

Gabriel wasn’t bothered by the words, watching the Goddess as she stepped off the material plane to depart.

“If you have betrayed me, Kali. I will come for you.” Silence stretched for several long moments before he finally looked away from her retreating form, focused on the task at hand.

Find the Devil.

Bring him back to the Cage.

Convince Michael to relinquish his Grace.

As a human, Michael wasn’t a threat. Dean would understand. Eventually.

Purgatory was different when you were alive. That was the first thing Gabriel realized when he stepped into the monster afterlife. There was a heavy weight that rested on his shoulders. Knowledge that if he were to die…

It would be permanent. Or as permanent as he’d let it become. Because he would absolutely fight his way out again.

_“You escaped with the help of your brother and blood brother.”_

_Yeah, but I could have survived on my own. I’m a fighter._

_“Coward, Gabriel. You are a coward. When it gets hard, you_ run _. That’s all you’re good for.”_

Michael. That had been _Michael_. The final thing that he had told him after he fled Heaven.

Purgatory. He had to focus. Dean and Cas had told him that it drew out their worst thoughts. Made them susceptible to their own guilt and history.

But he could push those thoughts away. Focus on his goal. The Devil. He had to find the Devil. Stretching his wings out in preparation to flee, he began to walk. Every ounce of his being was focused on his surroundings. The wereapes in the trees. The skinwalker pack he could hear in the distance. The muttering of vampires and all of the other humanoids.

He stopped in his tracks, turning around as he heard the unmistakable sound of flapping wings.

Angel.

He bolted to duck behind a tree, stumbling when the scrambling angel grabbed him by his arm and drug him forward.

“Leviathans!” It shouted in Enochian, tugging him forward and kicking him into action as he took flight after the younger angel. “Gabriel!”

“Raphael?” He was stunned as he took off after his older brother. “What-”

“Be prepared!” Raphael warned him before diving, Gabriel just barely following the movement. A screech tore through the air behind them when Raphael landed. Gabriel dropped down next to him, looking back to see a small hoard of leviathan melting to the ground, screaming bloody murder.

“What _is_ that?”

“Borax fissures that are all over the center of Purgatory. We’re near The Castle.”

“The Castle?”

“You never found it when you came through?” Raphael paused, fluffing out his wings before meeting Gabriel’s gaze. “You must have been on the edges. You were lucky then, brother.”

“Which means I’m unlucky now?”

“Very unlucky. The midlands are home to Purgatory’s worst beasts. You are alive and every monster here can taste it.”

 _Kali._ There was no way that was a mistake. She’d sent him to somewhere he would theoretically be unable to leave. Trapped him.

“Come with me, Gabriel. We will discuss this in the safety of The Castle.”

“Whose castle is it, Raphael?”

“Hers.” The look Raphael gave him was more than enough of an answer. An answer with no words. A faint smile accompanied his sad look. Bittersweet and eternal.

“She is… gone.”

“Dead, Gabriel. Where are we, though?”

“Purgatory. Above our final resting point. Are you telling me she took control of Purgatory?”

“When you don’t know anything more, secrets to living past death, where else would you have gone after you died? Would you have settled with the rest of our siblings, or would you have come into the light?”

“The light.” Gabriel answered without hesitation. “You’re telling me that she’s here?”

“Yes. Come with me, Gabriel.” Against all of his better judgement, he couldn’t resist temptation when it came to her. The idea of seeing someone he believed to be gone forever. Someone that had been absent during his first death. Except not absent. Simply… misplaced.

“Did she ever choose a name?” He asked his older brother as they began the trek through the woodlands that grew thicker and thicker as they did.

“She did.” Raphael confirmed, kicking a branch aside. “Elo.”

“God. Why would she choose His name?”

“Three names existed when she lived. Three words. If you were going to take a position of power, what would you choose?”

 _Elo_. The name of the Creator. Not Michael or Lucifer. Elo.

“Do you hate her for it?”

“I’m too angry at Father to ever hate her. She could have lived, yet He left us without her.”

“Do you hate me for what I did?”

Silence stretched out, long and heavy between them. Far too long had passed for them. “You made a choice. You chose a side. We all did. Michael and I tried our hardest to forgive you for leaving. But you know how he can be. How I became.”

“How are you?”

“Tired. Old. But… death is peace for me. No pain. No suffering. Most monsters are at peace here. And the ones that aren’t, they seek us out. Elo’s haven. The Castle.” A promise of safety in a land of death. It was no surprise he had never heard of it on the outer edges. “You don’t want to stay here.”

“I’m looking for someone.” Gabriel admitted. “The Devil.”

“I was under the impression our brothers remained in The Cage.”

“They are. But Devil isn’t.” Gabriel answered bitterly. “The Devil is here seeking out another portion of myself.”

“Tricksters don’t go to Purgatory in death.”

“Traditionally, yes. But with Cagn missing-”

“Your other identities are not here. The Devil is seeking something that simply is not here. Now that we have this established, come. Visit Elo with me.” Silence stretched between them, long and heavy. Uncomfortable.

By the end of their journey they were squeezing between logs. Gabriel wondering if this wasn’t some elaborate scheme by an exceptionally clever leviathan.

Then they came out into an open clearing.

‘The Castle’ wasn’t the most proper of term for what it was. It wasn’t a castle at all. It was a wide and open field, littered with plantlife. Center pieced by a large throne. Tall and elegant and eternally familiar.

Occupied by someone Gabriel never believed he would ever see again.

Her. _Elo_.

“Brother.” The large engulfment of light came down in front of them, warping itself down into a more manageable form. Not quite human, animal traits crawling their way into an almost human form.

“It has been a long time.” He carefully unfurled his wings, reaching out to brush the ends of their wings together. A quiet greeting he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.

“Gabriel.” Raphael said quietly, Elo nodding her head faintly as she tucked her wings behind her.

“I am aware of his identity, brother. I would never forget any of you.”

“You can speak.” Laughing sharply, Gabriel shook his head. “ _We_ can speak.”

“Your form is endearing.” She answered, eyeing him with curiosity.

“I have had it for a long time. How did you decide yours?”

“Alterations of some of the creatures I have encountered in my death. Raphael thinks I should choose a human form so that I blend better.”

“Blending is… less than pleasant.” He flexed his wings behind him.

“That is what I told him.” The lightform gave Raphael the closest thing that could be a ‘I told you so’ look. Wings arching behind her in a pleased gesture.

“Thanks, Gabriel.” Raphael was all but pouting. So much lighter than he had been in years. Knowing what he knew about Raphael from The Apocalypse times, it was easy to see that death had been kind to him.

It was still sad information to possess.

“I need to find someone, Elo.”

“I don’t leave this place, Gabriel.” She answered him, turning and walking back towards her throne.

“ _Please_.”

“The answer is no. If you wish to risk yourself out there, that is your decision.” Gabriel rushed after her, listening to the soft steps of Raphael’s feet against the ground as he trailed behind them.

“I don’t belong here. I’m alive.”

“Yet you came by your own volition.” His sister countered with amusement, kneeling down when they came across a young vampire who was speaking with an older… werewolf?

They looked pleased. It reminded him of Heaven, but more social. Unrestricted.  

“Elo.” The girl reached out to touch Elo’s face, making a happy sound.

“Hello, Elizabeth. How are you today?”

“Warm.” She answered, squealing when Elo hooked her up under a wing. “Elo!”

“They call her Mother.” Raphael said softly, resting a hand against his shoulder.

“I expected… more.”

“Death is stagnation.” Raphael said in a soothing tone as Elo began moving around the area, speaking with the present souls. “Change is a flaw. And she has placed herself as the God of Purgatory. This is her empire. Her realm. And you’re alive.”

“She was more vibrant in life.”

“Death is long.” Raphael answered, “I will help you escape Purgatory.”

“You should not.” Elo said from across the clearing. “You should die. Stay with us.” She didn’t look up from whoever she was talking to. Voice only carrying because she was an Archangel.

“Lucifer will escape if I stay.”

“And? Our brothers are doomed to kill each other. You can only thwart the inevitable for so long. Let the world be reborn. I am sure both of them have plans for its future.”

“No.”

“Refusal only takes one so far.” She murmured, barely audible at all.

“Is that normal?”

“Our sister believes in the natural order. Live, die, remain in death.”

 _Natural order._ “Raphael. What do you remember of Order?”

“Little. Just that it and Chaos never melded well. Much like Light and Dark and Life and Death, they were better when disconnected. Why are we discussing Order?”

“Because… there is reason to believe it was what damaged The Cage.”

“Order brings bliss. Bliss crushes grief. The End becomes the Beginning and we start again.” It was an almost chant that the fifth Archangel spoke softly. Enochian flowing effortlessly despite having only spoken English since his arrival.

 _It sounds better in Enochian_. He mused internally. Stared at his sister.

“What is that?”

“The promise it made when I freed it.” Elo didn’t look at them as she trekked towards her throne, light pouring out around her. Souls running to bathe in it.

“You don’t leave The Castle, Elo.”

“Once. A time ago. The leviathans opened a new hole. Found something new in their great acid sea. I went to find it and what I found was what you call Order. A being that stood in The Beginning with Father.”

“You did _what_?” Raphael asked in complete astonishment.

 _Order was imprisoned. That’s why things changed. God probably shoved it in a box just like He did with all of his other problems. It made_ sense _._

“There is no harm to me from what they have planned. Why would I not?”

“Elo, our brothers and sisters reside in Heaven. On Earth. What would it do to them if it dictates that they don’t fit into their ideals?”

“Death, potentially. But what is life without death?”

“Raphael.” Gabriel hissed.

“I know, Gabriel.” Raphael flared his wings, “Elo, I demand you give us passage to the outside.”

“I will always grant you passage, Raphael. Not him, though.”

“ _Elo_.”

“He chose to descend into death while he lives. If he dies here, it is his fate. Not my decision to make.”

“You put the fates of all of our brothers and sisters in danger. You will help. Or you will find me to be your enemy.”

“You do not instill fear in me, little brother. Leave now. Both of you. You are creating stress that is unneeded.”

“You’re a fool, sister.” Raphael huffed, frustration bleeding off of him in waves. “A selfish fool.”

“I am old, brother. There is a difference.” Old and unaccustomed. Unpracticed with the outside world. Dead since The Beginning.

She never had a chance at learning to love. To lose. Gabriel didn’t look at her a moment longer as he trailed after Raphael into the treeline.

“Raphael, why would Order damage The Cage?”

It was a good ten minutes of trekking through the trees before Raphael answered, tense and frustrated. “To finish what began. Order means allowing Destiny to unfold. It means our brothers killing each other. Order and Fate would work hand in hand.”

“You don’t want that anymore, right?”

“I never wished for it. I just knew it was a means to an end. Peace. Humanity is pain, Gabriel. Pain and suffering.”

 _Pain._ “Death is absence.”

“Death is peace. Comfort. I haven’t been able to feel peace since Lucifer’s Fall. Not until I died.” Until Castiel killed him. Castiel regretted it, but he forgave him. Some part of Gabriel wondered if Raphael wouldn’t thank him for it. Even with all that ensued afterwards.

“Are you coming back with me?”

“I would prefer not to.” Raphael admitted, shifting his grip on his spear. “But I will do what I must to keep our brothers and sisters safe. You know how to resurrect an angel, right?”

“I know how I came back but it was with the assistance of Cagn. You will have to find a Vessel. How is your bloodline?”

“Thinning.” Raphael admitted. “I think there may be one or two remaining. I’m going to assume you aren’t in charge of Heaven.”

“They rule themselves. I sort of promised to stay out of it.”

“Then I will do the same.” Raphael answered. “There are bigger issues at hand than angering our siblings.”

“I hope you’re being honest because I don’t want to let them down. They’ve been working hard to be a community. A family.”

“It sounds like Heaven has taken a positive turn. Is that your involvement?”

“It’s all them. It was how things were when I came back. Hell, they won’t do what I say. Not without running it through every other angel in Heaven.”

“You sound like you’re proud of them.”

“I am. The kids are all grown up now. Even if it’s a pain to deal with. Thankfully, the head of their little powerhouse at least respects a few of my decisions. Sometimes. They’ll help us if I ask.”

“Potentially?” Raphael asked, the trees growing thinner and thinner as they moved.

“Potentially.” He confirmed, stretching his wings out in the new area. “How far away is sunset?”

“Close. We won’t be able to sleep, though. It’s far too dangerous.”

“We’ll have to fight in the cold?” Gabriel grimaced at the concept. The cold had been near unbearable for him last time, and he was a damned _Archangel_.

“ _If_ attacked… so more than likely yes. Tell me that you brought your blade.”

“Loki stole it when we separated. I tried retrieving it but she really did not want me to come to Purgatory.”

“How is being more than one person?” Raphael asked, Gabriel shifting anxiously. “Lucifer never spoke about it.”

“Complicated. I imagine even moreso when we were three parts instead of two. Tell me. If you were hated by someone, someone that was technically part of you, how would you handle that?”

“No one can hate someone more than they can ever hate themselves.” Silence fell after that. Long and heavy and tense. Wordless in a way that should have been familiar but wasn’t. When was the last time the Archangels had simply _been_ with one another? No words. No complicated details. Nothing but presence. The occasional wing to wing contact.

“Once we cross here.” Started Raphael when they arrived at the borax line, “We are subject to attack from all leviathans. As well as the other beasts that lurk. If The Devil is anywhere, it will be where the Gods reside.”

“How long?”

“On a simple journey just to where the Gods remain, without interruption? Eight days by foot. A day and a half if we can fly. But I don’t think you can make the flight in the cold.”

“I can if I have to.” It had to be true. Difficult, but he could manage if he tried. Probably painful, but worth it. In theory.

“Having you damage your wings due to sheer stubbornness is not a valid plan. We can do three days if we walk by night. Fly during the day. But I’m adding an extra day at minimum to our travel time.”

“Because I’m alive.”

“You will draw a lot of attention. We are going to be fighting most of the journey.”

So at minimum four days of travel. Probably five because Raphael was being generous and trying to help him feel better. It would be almost no time on Earth but plenty of time for the Devil to learn he was there and get out of Purgatory once he found out that Coyote wasn’t there.

Not to mention that they were traveling through lands that the creatures residing in could easily kill him. Eat either of them. The chance that he actually _lived_ through this was so damned slim.

 _Damn it, Kali_. There was no way it had been a mistake that he was dropped dead center in Purgatory. It was absolutely her trying to keep him contained. Probably even safe in her own screwed up way. Not for his sake. But for Loki’s. Which was wrong in so many ways, given the fact that they were the _same person_.

“I’ll die out there, won’t I?”

“Not if I can help it.”

“Raphael. I need a certain answer. _Will I die_? Screw the bedside manner.”

“Most likely.” Raphael admitted tiredly. “But Elo will never let us return to The Castle now. Our only direction is forward.”

“And if I die?”

“You will crawl back out and fight again.” _And Loki will be lost. One person._ He mused internally, shaking his head.

“Screw it.” Gabriel rolled his shoulders before stepping forward. “I have a spear. I’m not great with it, but it will work.” He summoned an old spear from one of his personal pockets, fingers curling around the hilt. “You ready, Raph?”

“I really wish I had my Archangel blade to give to you.” Raphael said worriedly from behind him. Twigs snapping beneath his feet.

“Kali has it. Thank you for that, by the way.” Gabriel retorted.

“I didn’t choose to die at Castiel’s hands.” Raphael responded bitterly from behind him. Closer now.

“No, but you were reckless and stupid. Going to war was unnecessary and you know it. Not to mention stupid. Angels fighting each other is something we _always_ should avoid. We aren’t infinite.”

“I never will say my decisions were good ones. But you have no right to judge me for a situation you were never involved in.”

“You’re right. I don’t.” Something shuddered in the distance, a soft sound that he almost didn’t catch.

“Raph.”

“Pixies.” He murmured, adjusting his spear. “Be ready to fight, brother.”

“You’re serious.”

“Yes.” Sighing deeply, Gabriel flipped his spear around and folded his wings to guard his back as he prepared for the first fight of many.


	15. Sam and The Three Dates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five months ago, Sam decided to take each of The Three on dates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another flashback chapter. I know. I wrote this as a one-shot but decided I wanted it as a chapter instead. I could make it more distinct by italicizing but long stretches of text in pure italics annoy me. So, here’s one more flashback. The only other one. Promise.  
> (reminder that Loki still identifies as male at this point)

**_FIVE MONTHS AGO_ **

**.-~*~-.**  
SAM  
 ***~-.-~***

“C'mon, Sam. Dinner’s overrated.”

“Yeah, well Coyote doesn’t agree.” Sam rubbed his temples. Resisted the urge to strangle his boyfriend for the fifteenth time that day. Where was Gabriel when he needed him? Well… yeah, this wasn’t between him and Gabe for now. Even when Loki was driving him up the walls.

“I’m just sayin'. Coyote’s not front and center and if you want to deal with that serious case of blue balls you might want to rethink your strategy. Gabe gets most the showtime. But _I’m_ the deviant.” Sam groaned when Loki pressed up to him. Kissed him long and deep. Pressed him against the wall. “And I’m tellin’ you. This is a perfect date. You, me…”

Clearing his throat, Sam pushed at his over-eager boyfriend’s chest before he could change his mind about what he wanted from the Three that night. “Wine and dine me then we’ll talk.”

“Talking isn’t the goal of this operation.” Loki was pouting so Sam kissed him. Simple and chaste and knowing full well that it would drive him insane.

“Loki.”

“Fine. But I get to top tonight.”

“Deal.” Sam grinned down at him. Turned his head when a snap had him somewhere else entirely.

“Where are we?”

“Hawaii. A nice little café on the beach.”

“It’s closed.” Sam pointed out, Loki’s grin just growing wider. “What?”

“It’s a ghost café. A place where ghosts go to pretend to eat.”

“How do we-”

“Like this,” Loki reached up and cupped him on the back of his neck. It left him extremely light headed for a moment as his surroundings took on a grey undertone.

He stared in horror at his body, lounged against a coconut tree like it was sleeping.

“Did you just _kill_ me?” He demanded, watching Loki as he knelt down to adjust the positioning of his body.

Like that was normal.

“It’s astral projection. You’re fine. Body's fine. I won’t kill you unless we discuss it first, okay?”

“That doesn’t make- don’t kill me or drag my soul out of my body without asking! I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with _you_.”

“I’m the ridiculous one. And it’s fine. You’re fine. Forgive me?”

Sam huffed an annoyed breath but nodded. “Ask next time.” God, he hoped there wouldn’t be a next time.

“Cross my heart.” Loki hummed with a grin, impossibly wrapping an arm around his very incorporeal body. Being with nonhumans never ceased to astound him.

“You owe me for this.”

“Oh, Sammy. I’ll pay you back in a hundred different ways tonight. Cross my heart and hope to die.”

Rolling his eyes, he pulled Loki into his side and followed him to the outside of the much livelier café. Livelier. He tried really hard not to crack up at the ridiculousness of that concept.

They were going to a café for _ghosts_.

“For reference, the ghosts here aren’t vengeful. They won’t ever go vengeful. It’s a… reserve almost for those not quite ready to let go. Places like these are frequented by Pagans. If a soul wants to move on, it gets to. If it looks like it needs to move on, it’s forced to.”

“Oddly reassuring.” And not at all what he’d been thinking about. For once. Stressing over the monsters of the world had been something he’d chosen to ignore for a while now. He hunted. With Dean. But it was easier to stay at the house. He’d even considered getting some sort of part-time job.

Not that he wanted to tell Dean any of that.

“Stop stressing.” Loki smacked him in the back of the head. “Date. You. Me. Or we go back to the house and I screw your brains out. Either way, stop thinking.”

“Do you think I could do it?”

“What?” Loki gave him a long look before grimacing. “Oh. That. Domesticity. Probably. It depends on how Dean takes it. You want to make him happy. It’s a pain too because you put his happiness over yours.”

“I’m happy now.”

“Not happy. Not yet.” Loki waved at the probable waitress who looked like she came from the sixties. “Two.”

“Loki.” She eyeballed Sam with unfiltered jealousy. “When will your daughter be through again?” The woman asked as she guided them towards the back of the café, brushing past the tables littered with ghosts who were pretending to eat. Just like Loki had said. There was food in front of them, surprisingly fresh and corporeal. Exclusively sandwiches and salads.

“Whenever she feels like it. We aren’t on the greatest speaking terms right now.”

“Aw, that’s a shame. Should always be good with your children.” She gestured towards the table near the back, setting menus out in front of them. Open because they couldn’t touch them probably.

 _Not dead_. He realized, examining the woman closer. A medium, probably. Or a witch. Young enough looking that she was possibly both of those. Running a café for ghosts. It was almost funny.

“I’ll be good with her when she stops blaming me for something someone else did. Sound good?”

“Whatever you say, my God. I’ll return shortly.” She scurried away after shooting a bitter glare at Sam and Loki rolled his eyes.

“I did tell her that I’m not interested.”

“You can be hard to resist.”

“Can I?” Loki grinned at him. “You sure resisted me earlier.”

“Call this your punishment for being a pain in the ass.”

“Punishment. I like where this conversation is going.” Loki leaned across the table, propped his head up on his hands. “Do tell, Sammy.”

“Maybe later.” He answered flippantly, leaning back in his seat.

“You’re no fun.”

“You brought me to a _ghost_ café. I can’t eat anything here. You brought me to sit and talk. Which is genuinely surprising. Sweet even.”

“I’m not sweet.”

“You really are. Your sweet tooth is spreading to your heart, Lo. So, what do you want to talk about?”

Pouting, Loki leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms behind his head. “I want you to talk. So I can listen. Be my personal storyteller, Sammy!”

With a sigh, Sam smiled at his boyfriend. “I think I can do that. But first you have to tell me why Hela isn’t speaking to you.”

“Because Veles did something stupid and she’s being a discriminating brat towards all Tricksters. I don’t want to talk about Hela tonight. Later, alright.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” He promised before dropping into a story about one of the ridiculous hunts that Loki _hadn’t_ been involved in.

An hour and a half later, Loki was impatiently shoving him out of his clothes, clearly fighting internally with himself about how fast to go. Touching him everywhere. Fingers straying across his chest and sides, mouth sucking and biting marks all across his skin like the possessive bastard Sam knew he could be on his own.

 **.-~*~-.**  
SAM  
 ***~-.-~***

Gabriel was different. During Gabriel’s try with this little experiment, he went the extra mile. It wasn’t a trip to somewhere he couldn’t even eat followed by mind-blowing sex.

Gabriel was a gentleman.

He had apparently learned to drive and had by some miracle convinced Dean to let him drive the Impala-

Or he’d stolen it.

Either way, he was driven into a nearby town and they were sat at a table in a nice restaurant.

“You look good tonight, Sam.” Gabriel hummed, picking at a dinner roll.

“So do you.” Looking good was a slight understatement. Gabriel was in a damned suit that Sam was dying to rip him out of. Reveal every inch of skin that was being carefully concealed by the fabric.

 _Loki is a bad influence on me._ He mused internally. Almost laughed. Except he was trying really damned hard to make this as real as he could because he knew it would be good for all of them.

And because he was dying for just a bit of the domesticity his partners were trying to emulate for him.

“Am I doing this right?”

“What? The date? Gabe, we could be sitting outside a bar in trashbags and it would be great. This is good. We’re good.” He reached across the table to thread their fingers together, ignoring the slightly offensive look he received from the waiter when he came to take their orders.

“Your best dessert.” Gabriel hadn’t bothered with the menu and Sam had been too caught up in his thoughts to pay it much attention.

“The um,” He stared at the menu, grateful when Gabriel smoothly jumped in with an order of a filet mignon and a side salad.

“You’re stressed, Sam. Why?”

“It’s just been a long time since I’ve done… well _this_. A proper formal date. I don’t remember how to do it.” _Jess_. It had been with Jess.

“If it makes you feel better, all of my information on how to do a date comes from watching television.”

“Dates don’t always end in sex.” Sam felt obligated to point out. Loki’s date, it had been inevitable. Coyote’s, it was a guarantee it wouldn’t. With Gabriel, his libido was hit and miss.

It was why he’d decided that these “date nights” would be so vital. A single span of twelve hours dedicated to one of Three rather than an inconsistently changing array of Three.

He could only hope that it helped them as well. Because he had enjoyed his time with Loki. He was just so _stressed_ right now.

“Relax, Sam.” Gabriel squeezed his hand. “Don’t overthink this.”

“I am overthinking, aren’t I?” He laughed a bit, shook his head. “This whole thing is new ground for me.”

“It’s really not. Nothing’s changed. Just… the details. Even when we’re apart we’re still the same person.”

“Gabe, we’ve never been on a fine dining date. This isn’t _normal_ for us.”

“Then let’s leave. Loki said this would be a good idea. I didn’t really agree but he reminded me that he’s the only one of us that’s ever been in a relationship involving more than one person.”

Sam laughed, shaking his head and grinning. “I’m pretty sure orgies don’t count as relationships. Unless he’s kept some sort of secret from me, he’s never technically been in a…” The word slipped his mind and he felt like an idiot, sitting there for a second trying to remember the term.

“Polyamorous relationship?” Gabriel pressed and he chuckled, shook his head.

“Yeah. Polyamorous relationship.”

“No, he hasn’t. We haven’t. Well- actually maybe we have. Sigyn was… we- they had an open relationship,” Those awkward moments where the Three had trouble distinguishing themselves apart. Which pronoun or term to use. Sam had learned it was easier to let him work through it over the last few weeks than trying to help him. “Sigyn’s problem was the kids.”

“My point stands. Sex is not a relationship.” The waiter coughed and he internally groaned in embarrassment, looking at the man that was holding his salad. Looking a bit flustered. He quickly delivered the food and scurried off.

This place was way too high-end for this discussion.

“Can we go?” He all but begged and Gabriel smiled at him, amused.

“Of course.”

The rest of that evening was simpler. Easy. Ended with them taking Krypto for a nice long walk.

It worked.

 **.-~*~-.**  
SAM  
 ***~-.-~***

Sam stepped through the grass at Coyote’s side. The sky was glowing white with the full moon and Coyote was humming an old tune. It was light and playful, something Sam had heard many other times. He hummed a bit with her, catching her hand in his.

“Where are we?” He finally asked as they began to approach a large tree. Taller and thicker than any other around it. The moon was bright behind it. Lighting up the landscape.

“There was a time when we decided to discard our angelic nature. For just a few years. This tree was the home to our Grace for a long time. But,” She turned around, smiled widely at him. “This is also where I came into being. Where Gabriel summoned Cagn a second time. Begged for change. Where I met Crow.”

“I guess we know who the sentimentalist is.” He mused.

“How are you with heights?”

“Teetering on the edge of death heights? Or in a safe and boxed in heights?”

“Safe heights.” Coyote confirmed and he nodded.

“Then I can handle it. Where are we going?”

“Up.” She answered, pointing up towards the top of the tree. The very tall, every empty topped tree. Very green and lively. “It’s a Bloodgood Sycamore.” She added. “We’re in New Mexico.

“I’m guessing where we’re going isn’t real?”

“Real as it can be.” She wrapped an arm around his side. Then the ground beneath his feet changed and they were inside of a decently sized room, relics and other items lining shelves on the walls.

“What’s this?”

“My pack’s reality pocket. Offerings from followers. Memories from tricks we pulled.” She waved her hand the curtains all flying open to let in the moonlight. “You know that arrowhead that we gave you last Christmas? It was from here. We didn’t time travel. Too much work.”

“It’s cool.” Sam ran his fingers over the ancient memorabilia. Just barely touching the items. Afraid that they’d break beneath the contact.

“I thought you’d appreciate this. I know Loki and Gabe tried the dinner thing but... I remembered what you told us. About your favorite dates.”

“Coyote, this is great.” He abandoned his snooping to cross the room, kissing her on the lips. Just a quick brush of skin. “What do you want, though?”

“A picnic under the moonlight.” She snuck out of his hold and pushed open a door he was certain hadn’t been there a few seconds before. Revealing a wooden patio with a nice and simple picnic setup. Red and white blanket, basket with a bottle of wine set outside it. “Is that fair?”

“Of course.” He grinned, trailing after her to sit on one end of the blanket. Trying really hard to ignore just how high in the air they were. “So, are we in the tree or not?”

“We… are. But it’s set just outside the fabric of the world. Kind of like Mystery Spot but more concrete.”

“And less lethal?”

“Exactly.” She leaned back, dress pooling carefully to cover the skin hidden beneath it. “Less lethal. If we walked about two miles that way, you could see Crow and Coyotl’s main residence. Home I suppose. After Anansi, we stopped coming here.”

“And what about you?”

“My home is with you. For now. Maybe in the future that will change but I’m happy here.”

“What about Gabe and Loki?”

“It’s difficult. Gabriel sees Heaven as home. Even after we ran. Loki- he doesn’t believe in a home. But he wants to try.”

“I wish that was more surprising.”

“It’s funny, you know? Loki and I… we meld better. If we were your solar system, Gabriel would be the sun. Me and Loki are like your Earth and moon. Along for the ride.”

“That sounds… difficult.”

“It is difficult. When we were One, we once told Castiel it felt like we were smothering two parts of us. Like we were killing ourselves by being One. Now… it feels like Gabriel is crushing me and Loki and all we can do is fight to be us. These dates… I think they’re something we have to do. Me, Gabe, Lo. We have to learn to work together. Split time evenly. Or he’s going to end up crushing us into nothing.”

“We’ll make this work.” He offered her a chocolate covered strawberry from the basket. “All of us.”

“Or we’ll crash and burn.” Coyote countered, biting into the fruit and moaning softly in appreciation.

“Who said it would be easy?” He asked, Coyote half crawling over into his lap to kiss him with chocolate coated lips. Gently at first before deepening it. He rested his hands on her hips, rubbing soft circles into the fabric covered skin while focusing on the soft skin of her lips. The careful exploration of her tongue against his.

“Above the waist.” She muttered after pulling away, leaning back to give him breathing space.

“I don’t-”

“It doesn’t interest me. But I know full well you enjoy it. I trust you, Sammy.” He skimmed his hands up the back of the open backed dress once he was certain about her approval. Exploring the soft skin over her back that was nothing like Gabriel or Loki’s.

Coyote’s body was a secret. He knew she didn’t like anything sexual. That kissing for her was a non-intimate intimacy. A promise of love that she had never shared with anyone else.

Her eyes closed, body tensing a bit when he explored closer to the front and he backed off.

“Lay down?”

“Sam-”

“Trust me?” She blinked at him before grabbing another strawberry. Doing as she was asked.

“What are you doing?”

“Setting up the boundaries. Can you change you dress to a tank top? Please?”

“And jeans.” She muttered against the blanket beneath her before her long dress was replaced with deliberately concealing clothes. Jeans -bare feet- and fitted tank top that left a lot of her back exposed for him while still shielding her from his vision.

He hated the reason why she was so reserved about these things.

Still, she was trusting him. And he couldn’t disappoint her. A quick prayer to Coyotl left him with a death threat as well as the bottle of almond oil he’d asked for.

“Why- _oh_.” Her words died in her throat when Sam began the back massage, a soft pleased sound escaping her lips. “You don’t-”

“You worked like hell to make me enjoy tonight. Let me do the same.”

“I’m not complaining.” She began to hum again. That same tune from the start of the night.

“You’ve never said what it is.”

“It was about a man and woman I followed for a time. They fought to be together and just when they thought it would end for them both… they were saved by an unknown God.”

“Who saved them?”

“Loki.” She answered quietly. “I wasn’t there when they were saved. But they were rescued by Loki.”

“Why would Loki save a human couple?”

“Because-” She paused for a moment, relaxing again under his ministrations. “Because he had just lost the woman he loved to circumstances beyond his control. Because he wanted to feel like he was good.”

“Was that why he was here? In the Americas?”

“Yes. He was here because that kind of kindness in the east would have ruined him.”

“I won’t tell him you told me he’s secretly a sap.”

“He already knows. But let’s keep it between us.”

“Sounds like a good deal.”

A comfortable silence settled between them. And when the sun rose, they were curled up side by side on the blanket. Quiet except for their breathing.

It was good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you ask nicely I'll post another chapter today. ;)


	16. Loki and Sam and The Problem Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki reaches out to Hela and gets more than he bargained for. Sam learns something worrying about the state of the Tricksters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double trigger warning: Discussion of a rape that occurred in Loki’s past. Directly intertwined with Norse mythology.
> 
> Neglectful and emotionally abusive behaviors from Loki towards one of her children.

 

 **.-~*~-.  
** LOKI  
 ***~-.-~***

Kali was waiting for them when Loki and Sam returned to the house. “Sigyn.”

“Kali.” She corrected him with a roll of her eyes, perched on the kitchen counter with her ankles crossed while she sipped a martini. “Your less favorable half is in Purgatory.”

“I asked you to stall.”

“And I did.” She huffed, looking at Sam. Eyeing him carefully. “Where is your brother?”

“Thor.” Sam muttered with annoyance. “World’s ending and he stopped to screw _Thor_.”

“World was ending and you tried to sleep with me.” Kali countered, sipping at her drink. “I sent him to the center.”

“Sigyn-”

“He threatened to kill me, Loki. Unless you wanted me and him to fight to the death, the safest place for him was there.”

“In the maw of death.” Loki countered, irritated. Just on the edge of angry. Understanding full well the _why_ but not at all pleased with it. “He will die there.”

“If he’s a fool, yes.”

“He’s part of me. _Of course_ , he’s a fool. You know damn well what he will do and you did it anyway. I thought you gave a damn.”

“Oh, Loki. That’s golden. Coming from you? Your very existence is a bane on mine. Yet, I come for you. I came and helped _him_ because of you. I keep coming when you ask because you made me _forgive_ you. So take your pride and ego and jump off a cliff for all I care.”

“I didn’t ask you to come here. I didn’t _demand_ you get involved with my life! I asked for forgiveness for something I shouldn’t have had to be forgiven for! You started coming around on your _own_. I invited you to a wedding but you decided to try to court my boyfriend!”

“You’re right. You didn’t. And I was a fool for thinking that you’d grown up enough to understand why I wouldn’t jeopardize my life to save yours. We aren’t a couple, Loki. I would just barely acknowledge you as a friend. I don’t stay here for you. I come for _him_.”

“You sent Gabriel to his death.”

“Potential death. But yes. Because unlike all of you, I don’t have an army of people ready to risk their necks to bring me back.”

“You think too little of yourself.”

“Or you think too strongly of him. If I were to die tonight, do you think that your brother would want to waste a breath on me? That your girlfriend would?”

“I would.” Loki spoke before Sam could jump in, crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re one of the only people on the planet I would ever spend the time trying to bring back. And _unfortunately_ one of those five now is in one of the most dangerous places he could possibly go. Courtesy of you.” Muttering irritably under her breath, she stormed for the basement.

“Loki, don’t you dare-” Sam stopped talking when Loki threw her voice to his head.

 _‘Calm her down, Sam. I’m not going to go after Gabe. I don’t care about him right now and I don’t want to die.’_ She slammed the door behind her, collapsing onto the top step and letting out a breath she didn’t really need. Trying to collect her thoughts. Gabriel was in the center of Purgatory. While they had never directly visited it, they had heard that the center held the worst beasts. The creatures that killed each other just to kill. The ones that basked in the blood of their enemies and rejoiced in killing. Giants, phoenixes, nephilim, and a vast majority of the leviathans. So many damned _creatures_.

Three was going to become One and she didn’t know how she was going to deal with it. No Gabriel. No history going back to a time before time. Just Loki.

Closing her eyes, she pressed the heels of her hands to her face. “Hela. Hela, _please_. I need your help. Talk to me. _Talk to me!_ ”

The ground was ripped out from under her, sucking her into a vortex of fire and wind.

Dropping her in the middle of the room that could best be described as Hela’s throne room. Something that never should have been possible. Because she was a Trickster. Taking her against her will should have never been possible.

“Father.” Hela greeted her from the back of the room.

“You have _got_ to be kidding me.” He stumbled back from the edge of the giant lake that had taken over the center of the room. “Hela!”

The beast within roared. A heavy and ferocious sound, echoing loud and clear from the beak that broke the surface. Echoing around the hall, Valkyrie laughing and whispering in the crowd. An arena. Not her throne room. She’d turned her throne room into an _arena_.

“Sleipnir.” The name slid from her tongue undeterred. Like a vulgarity. Hate and love melded into something she could never truly understand.

Her child.

The one she wanted to love. The one she could never help but hate.

“Mother.” The man murmured from next to the throne. His human form, for the moment. Long face. Dark, glorious hair draped smoothly over his shoulder. “It’s been a long time.”

The kraken roared again, sinking beneath the surface. Loki backed away, back pressing against an invisible wall. Stomach rolling at the idea that Hela had actually thrown her into a pit to die. His favorite child. Only daughter.

Sleipnir, well he made a lot more sense.

“Hela, don’t do this.”

“You wanted to speak with me. Speak.”

“Hela!” It was Jörmun. Voice heavy and strong. Breaking the air above the crowd from somewhere behind her. Loki couldn’t risk looking back, scrambling to her feet as the first long and smooth tentacle escaped the water. “What do you think you’re doing!”

“What I must.” Hela stood up, dusting her cloak off. “And what we must do is rid the world of them all.”

“She is our _Father_!”

“Mother does not care about our fates. You have no reason to defend her now, Jörmun.”

“Oh, that’s crap and you know it, Sleipnir! This isn’t about them-” She shrieked when one of the tentacles snapped out of the water, catching her ankle. It was reflex when an older sword appeared in her right hand, arm swinging down to cut at the piece of deep green flesh that had caught her ankle. A weapon. She was armed now. As the kraken screamed, plunging back into the depths of the murky water to flood them all, she carefully shoved herself to her feet. “If you’re going to kill me, you could have the _decency_ to give me a fair fight. I’m not a dolphin, Hela! Let me fight a damned manticore!”

“I don’t have a manticore.” She retorted. “And you’re armed.”

“This is insane, Hela! Let her go!”

Loki shifted her grip on the hilt of the sword, grinding her teeth together as she skirted the edge of the murky water. Summoned a second sword to go with the first. Not the angel blade. Using an angel blade wouldn’t do her any good here. Old beasts were immune to divinity. “I get that you hate me, Sleipnir. I’m sorry I couldn’t love you. Truly and sincerely _sorry_. But you can’t… you will never understand how I felt. Every moment of your conception to your birth was _torture_ for me.”

“You killed Odin.” Sleipnir disregarded the entire half-apology. Attention settling on the water. “The one person that _actually_ cared about my well-being and he is _dead_.”

“I didn’t kill him!” She stabbed downward when another tentacle darted from the water. This one caught on despite the weapon lodged in it, blood streaming out as it yanked her towards the water.

“Hela!” Was the last word she heard before being yanked beneath the murky surface of the water. Just barely holding onto the desire to breathe in. The kraken was massive. Impossibly so. Way too big to ever be left there for a long time. It dragged her in, large eyes firmly planted on her tiny form, beak parted open in something that Loki could imagine to be a sneer.

 _‘Loki.’_ Some part of her wanted to cry when the ancient beast’s voice entered her brain. Not friendly. Not welcoming. Just as hateful as Sleipnir’s had been. So many enemies. So much _hate_. _‘I will enjoy consuming you.’_

Loki discarded her weapons in favor of using words, a bubble of oxygen encasing her head. Not completely weak but vulnerable. Just like the other Tricksters. “You don’t belong here. Let me free you.”

 _‘You imagine a world in which I will fall for your deception.’_ The beast drew her closer to its face, one of its two large beady eyes.

 _Jöry, please hurry._ Please _talk sense into your sister._ “I’ve turned over a new leaf. I’m a Trickster, damn it! I have the power to move you.”

_‘You have no power. Not in the way the world whispers. Tricksters are but a legend of power. A myth told time and time again. Your time has come, Loki. Like the last.’_

“Use me. Maybe Hela doesn’t care anymore but Jöry does. You know Jörmungand. The World Serpent. You once swam the seas of Midgard with him. You can swim them again. But only if I survive this.”

_‘The Serpent is dead.’_

“The Serpent is _there_. Above us. In the stadium where the Valkyrie watch you like you are some form of amusement. Like you aren’t someone to _fear_.” It left a sour taste in his mouth, endangering his daughter. Her army. But Loki couldn’t die. Not there. Not when Gabriel was so close already. Not when Tricksters were dying. “Look if you don’t believe me. See that I speak the truth.”

She was dragged further down in the pool of water, the kraken’s head ascending above it. It was there for a good amount of time before it returned.

 _‘The silver tongue knows no truth.’_ There wasn’t time to respond before she was brought forward, swallowed whole in a single motion.

 **.-~*~-.**  
LOKI  
 ***~-.-~***

Loki stared at the white ceiling above her. Disoriented and confused. She remembered…

Well being eaten.

The tile was very plainly, clearly, the ceiling of Hela’s throne room. Undoubtedly. Certainly. Clearly. Hela’s throne room.

“Am I dead?”

“That would be simpler.” His daughter came into view, offered her hand with reluctance. “As it would seem, I can’t bring myself to kill you.”

“And you couldn’t have realized that _sooner_?” She demanded, scowling before grabbing her daughter’s hand. “Where’s Sleipnir?”

“In a cell. For now. Containing an eight legged horse isn’t particularly easy.” Once she was on her feet, she looked around the room. The pool of water was gone. So was Jörmun.

“Where’s Jöry?”

“Apparently _someone_ convinced the kraken that you could be used as a bargaining chip to be returned to Midgard. He’s taking it to Antarctica.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. You were having me _eaten alive_.”

“I’d apologize but I’m sure you earned it at some point.” There was a moment where she simply stared at her daughter before she raised her hand, hitting her in the side of the head. “Ow!”

“You stupid little girl! I don’t give a damn how pissed you were at me! You tried to _kill me_!” Loki shoved her back, swung for her.

“Not really! Hey!” Hela grabbed her by her wrist, held her in place. “I’m sorry, okay. I _didn’t_ let you die.”

“How many others?”

“What?” She stared, guilt flashing across her expression as Loki yanked out of her hold, taking a step back.

“How many Tricksters are dead because of you?”

“I didn’t-”

“The kraken said I wasn’t the first. How many of my brothers and sisters have you killed? I want to know. How many died while I was laying there recovering from whatever happened to Coy-” Her words died in her throat, eyes darting to meet Hela’s. “Did you kill her?”

“Two.” The confession was like a knife to her heart, but Hela continued. Imploring. “But, I would _never_ kill Coyote. I _loved_ her.”

“You just sentenced me to my death.”

“Yes, but I actually _like_ Coyote. The same can’t be said about you.”

Loki groaned, wondering just what she’d done to ever deserve having her only daughter prefer some other aspect of her over her. It had to be impossible that she was that unfortunate. Completely and utterly _impossible_. “We aren’t different people, Hela.”

“You aren’t. But you also _are_. And whether you like it or not, Coyote is much more tolerable.”

“I’m sorry I hit you,” Loki scowled, looking at her daughter’s throne. “I need your help.”

“I’ve heard. I’m just a little bit curious as to what spell you’re trying to perform.”

“A location spell. I’ve never used- well… maybe I have.” It was a strange memory. Convoluted and not quite right. Out of place because she had _never_ tried to resurrect a Trickster… had she? “It requires the support of two people of power. Deities of death.”

“So, you bargain your life with Freyja and offer nothing to your own daughter.”

“Hey, at least if I succeed in this you get your favorite parent back!”

Hela stared at her, guilt flickering across her gaze. “Not my favorite. Just… less complicated. Why did you tell Sleipnir that you don’t love him?”

“Because I don’t.” Loki swallowed, averting her gaze. “Because I _can’t_. I tried. I did. But there’s just some things… I didn’t love your mother. We had a lot of fun but I didn’t love her. I was backed into a corner with Svaðilfari. I was _raped_ by Svaðilfari. So, when I say I don’t love Sleipnir, it’s not out of hate. It’s not out of cruelty. It’s because I _can’t love him_. I gave him to Odin so there was a chance he’d be loved. It was the only good thing I could have done for him.”

“That sounds an awful lot like love, Father.”

“It isn’t.” Loki murmured, shaking her head. “I wish I could agree with you, but I can’t. I know love. I know love fueled by hate. When I look at Sleipnir, I see his father. And yes, I admit I was at fault for part of it. I was one of the players in everything that transpired. But I can’t change how I feel about it.”

“He doesn’t hate you. He blames you. Like so many of us, he blames you for Odin.”

“You want me to apologize to him.”

“I want you to see him. I can’t keep him imprisoned forever. He’s my brother and I love him. Maybe you don’t, but I do.”

“I can’t lie to my children.”

“Yes, you can and if you want my help, you will.” The look her daughter gave her was one that didn’t bode argument. It also didn’t give her much of a position for argument. She didn’t want to lie to her kids. Even the one she didn’t like to acknowledge. It felt like poison to her. Even worse than admitting she didn’t love her son.

“Hela-”

“If you love me, Father. If you have ever loved me. You will do this. He needs to hear that he’s loved.”

“He wants me dead. More than you ever did. Given the chance, he _will_ kill me. Telling him that I love him. _Lying_ to him isn’t going to do any good. It’s just going to hurt him worse.”

“Then don’t tell him you love him. Tell him you don’t hate him. That was cruel and you _know it_. No child should ever hear that from their parent. If you do that for me, I _will_ help you with your spell.”

“Don’t make me face him again.” The words were small. Soft and vulnerable in a way she _hated_. Weakness where there shouldn’t have been any because she was _stronger_ than that.

 _You never got any closure_. Some part of her brain told her almost consolingly. If she let herself imagine it, she could pretend that part was the part of her that may have been someone named Coyote.

“Father-”

“I can’t. I _won’t_.” Raising her hand, Loki met her daughter’s familiar gaze. Saw a sadness that hurt her at a spiritual level. A grief that was all too understandable. “I’ll be at my home. You are welcome to come if you change your mind. But I won’t do this because I’m not strong enough to face it. I’m sorry.” A snap of fingers and she was gone.

 **.-~*~-.  
** SAM  
 ***~-.-~***

Sam was worried when he found the basement empty. Kali had left. Angry. Very angry. Their living room was a crispy mess and he suspected that the only reason he came out with nothing more than singed hair and clothes was because she didn’t hate him.

But she wasn’t happy with him either. Which was fine. Having an angry Goddess _not_ in their little neighborhood was probably for the best. When she calmed down, she would come back.

Or she wouldn’t.

But with Loki gone he was alone. “Crow. Coyotl. Where are you?” He threw out the prayer when he checked their room for the sixteenth time, gaze settling on the warded box that held two scrolls. Two names.

“Sam.” Crow greeted him, Sam turning to stare at the significantly less human looking Trickster God. Not quite a bird but…

Not quite human anymore. The man had taken on more animal like physical traits. Whole body cloaked to cover what? Sam could only guess. Dark eyes stared thoughtfully at him, feathers poking out from under the top of the black fabric.

“Are you okay?”

“Weak.” Crow admitted, crossing the room to seat himself on their bed. Gaze scanning the room thoughtfully. “Where is your brother?”

“Asgard.”

“So Thor, I’m guessing. Have you seen Castiel?”

“I thought he was with you.” Sam admitted, feeling guilty that he hadn’t thought about his friend in a while.

“I haven’t… well it doesn’t matter.” Crow coughed, clearing his throat.

“Where’s Coyotl?”

“He’s not well. Those of us with animal guises have taken to Cagn’s home. Maintaining a human appearance has become difficult so we can’t really reside on Earth at the moment. Coyotl has lost his human appearance completely.”

“That’s why he didn’t come.”

“Yes. Some of us… we possess more power than others. Tricksters like Sun Wukong and Loki… they aren’t being affected as strongly. Then the ones like Coyotl or Nanabozho who frequently expose their power are being hit the hardest. If Cagn doesn’t return soon, we worry that they will start dying.”

“If they start dying, who will be first?”

“Barring any dramatic Trickery from any of the others, the next would likely be Veles. Apparently, he used a major pocket of his power recently.”

“Veles is the one that Hela hates, right?”

“Yes. Veles is the one that Hela hates. He also wasn’t particularly fond of Coyote. Hates Loki’s guts. Him and us… we got into a fight before Coyote.”

“You don’t think-”

“Tricksters don’t kill Tricksters. We may fight. Rip each other to shreds. But we never kill each other. Veles wouldn’t have killed Coyote, no matter how much he may have wanted to.” Sam nodded, still not quite able to grasp the politics that the Tricksters seem to run through. The rules they seemed to have were never anywhere near consistent. But Crow seemed dead certain and knowing that they all suffered when one of them died, it wasn’t hard to believe it.

“Do you know where Loki is?”

“Hela tried to kill her.” Crow answered flippantly, Sam staring at him.

“She what?”

“Jörmun told me. But it was resolved before it happened. Hela had to bargain with the kraken but-”

“Where is Loki? Crow-”

“Fine. She’s fine, Sam. I swear. I swear on Coyote’s soul that Loki’s safe with her daughter. A way that Gods tend to show their love is in small acts of attempted murder or actual murder. But Hela cares far too deeply for the Three to ever jeopardize their life.”

“She sure didn’t give a damn when Gabe was comatose.”

“Letting her die versus killing her are two very different things. Trust me when I say that Hela won’t kill her father. She might banish her again but she won’t kill Loki. She has too much heart to do it.”

“If you’re wrong, I will kill you, Crow.”

“I would expect nothing less.” Smiling crookedly, he plucked up the arrowhead off the end-table. “I haven’t seen this in forever.”

“It’s usually in my safe box.” Sam admitted, watching the Trickster examine the old stone. “They gave it to me for Christmas.”

“Your brother is back.” Crow muttered, laying back on the bed. In a not at all shocking turn of events, Dean didn’t knock. Instead the plumbing roared to life indicating the shower. “Thor. I have to be honest. Coyote and I thought he would go for a demon before ever letting a God bed him.”

“I thought he’d screw an angel before ever doing a God. It makes me _really_ wish Loki didn’t love sharing stories of her sexcapades. I know way too much about Thor’s interests for this to be in any way okay.”

“An angel? Why an angel?”

“Because he’s had sex with an angel before. Dean usually chooses familiar ground when it comes to… his partners.”

“I have a feeling this is information you aren’t particularly happy you have.” Crow’s voice was almost teasing, Sam scowling and rolling his eyes. “Castiel is fine, by the way. He is apparently in Heaven. They are discussing a situation he didn’t want to tell me. So, I’m assuming it has something to do with the damage to The Cage.”

“How is that working, by the way?”

“Castiel is not an easy being to pursue. But I have never been interested in a relationship that would be easy. We’re putting everything on hold until we know whether or not Coyote will return.”

“What will you do if she doesn’t?”                                                 

“Grieve and move on. I love her but death is not the end. There is hope after death. Where she is now, Anansi would have been waiting. For you, I know it’s different. Because you’re human. I understand your grief, but I can’t relate with it.”

That was the worst part about the Three being Three again Sam realized. Loki and Coyote weren’t Heavenly beings. They couldn’t just head up into Heaven whenever he inevitably died.

Assuming he even made it into Heaven.

“If they have it their way, you will live a long life. Depending where your relationship takes you, they will resolve whatever may come in your afterlife.”

“And when they die, they’ll be in their own.”

“It takes a lot to kill a Trickster. Even more to keep one dead. Especially a Trickster involved with Winchesters. I don’t believe for a moment that you and your brother will stop fighting until the Three are safe.”

“I don’t think Loki will stop until she’s safe.”

“I know. I just worry how far she’s willing to go. Have they ever told you that Gabriel scares them?”

“Yeah. And she said that when they woke up Gabriel was crushing her.”

“You’ve been possessed before, Sam. Tell me. If you believed for a moment that there was a way to balance that experience out, how far would you go?”

“I’d die before letting myself get possessed again.” Sam admitted quietly, “I was a dick to her about it.”

“You were rightfully cautious. They are a difficult person to love.” Sam looked towards the door when someone knocked.

“I’m comin’ in. Better be decent.” Sam snorted as the door swung open, Dean standing there. “Woah.” He was openly staring at Crow. “What happened to you?”

“Dying. What happened to your neck?” Crow didn’t look up from the bed, gaze firmly planted on the arrowhead that was now floating above his face.

“Shut up. Where’s Loki?”

“Hela kidnapped her and tried to kill her.” It said a whole lot about their lives that Dean barely blinked at that.

“So where is she right now?”

“Antarctica.” Crow answered.

“Antarctica?” They both asked in confusion.

“Jörmun is there. They’ll be here shortly. They’re handling the deal with the kraken so it doesn’t wreak havoc on the planet.”

“A kraken? What-”

“Funny how that works, hm?” Loki hummed when she appeared on the bed next to Crow. Kraken eats me. I give it freedom. Now I’m in my house with my favorite band of idiots. Minus one.”

“Loki.” Crow greeted almost absently, huffing when Loki snatched the arrowhead out of the air.

“What’re you doing here? I thought your favorite was Coyote.”

“I don’t have favorites. I have companionship. Just because you are divided, it doesn’t change who you are to me. Yes, I miss your Coyote aspect. But you are still here.”

“Just broken.” Loki huffed, collapsing backwards. “So, I’ve got good news and bad news.”

“Does that bad news include the kraken?” Dean asked, Loki laughing softly while Sam moved to join her on the bed.

“The kraken is fine. It’s staying north. Humans are a bit beneath it so the chance it wastes time tracking them down is slim.”

“What’s the good news?” Sam asked before Dean could respond. That answer was reasonable given the circumstances.

“I’m alive!” Loki laughed, harsh and bitter. “Hela and Sleipnir tried to execute me. Sleipnir far more interested in my death than my daughter, it turns out.”

“The bad news?” Sam asked, crossing the room to sit down on the bed next to Loki.

“Hela wants me to do something I can’t and won’t do.” Her voice was smaller and Sam didn’t fight it when she threaded her fingers through his.

“Sleipnir.” Crow murmured.

It wasn’t a secret. Loki’s rocky relationship with The Eight Legged Horse. The story of his conception something Loki refused to talk about. Well known due to its existence in years of mythology.

“I won’t face him. I can’t do that. So, Hela won’t help me. Means I’ve got to figure something else out.”

“Stubbornness.” Crow muttered, moving around the room. Attention on the lock box for a moment before moving on.

“I’m not being difficult.”

“Crow.” Sam glared at him.

“I know the story. Don’t forget my place in their history. I know everything about Sleipnir.”

“Then tell me something, Crow. Is what she’s asking me to do unreasonable?”

“Logically, no. But knowing the things I know about you. Yes. Lying won’t make things between either of you better. Hela is reaching for something that is completely impossible and trying to force you to lie to him will do nothing to help.”

“What-” Dean’s question died when Sam shot him a ‘ _don’t_ ’ look.

“What’s Hela trying to have you do?” Sam asked, squeezing Loki’s hand. Grimacing, Loki sat up, pushing back against the wall.

“Hela wants me to tell Sleipnir I don’t hate him.”

“Dude.”

“You told him that?”

Loki shrugged, staring at the arrowhead. “It’s not something he didn’t know. I just… he tried to kill me, damn it. Maybe I was a dick. I’ll admit that. But I’m not going to lie to my child. I don’t lie to my children.”

“Loki… you told your son that you don’t love him-”

“No, I told him I hate him.” Loki corrected Sam, not resolving the problem in the least. Groaning, Sam shook his head.

“Dude, you have how many kids? How the hell do you think that there’s _nothing_ wrong with that?”

“Six kids. _Six_ children. Hela, Jörmun, Fenrir, Narfi, Váli, and Sleipnir. Narfi and Váli are dead. Hela, Jory, and Fen are… I love them. Sleipnir is all bad memories. I tried. I did. Then I gave him to Odin because he was better off with someone that could actually care. So, when I talk about parenting. When I talk about being a _Father_. A _Mother_. It’s experience. And I’m not parent of the year. I’ll own up to that. But I know how screwed it is. I know it was _messed up_. But I’m not going to apologize because I don’t lie to my children.”

 _I wonder if she would feel like this if Coyote was still alive._ Given the situation, there was a good chance Coyote would be more empathetic. But there was also a good chance she’d agree with Loki. Knowing what he knew about her past. It would probably end the same way, just less harsh. Less brutal.

“Where is Castiel?” Loki asked before anyone could say anything. Not that anyone seemed to try.

“Heaven.” Dean answered the question Crow had arrived with.

“Crow, let him know I need to talk to him when he’s done kissing Hannah’s ass.”

“I’m not your messenger, Loki.”

“No, but you have a link to him that I don’t have or want. Please, Crow.”

“Fine. I need to go, Loki. Find Cagn soon. Something is wrong.

“I know.” Loki murmured, looking at Crow who was sitting up, hood falling back to reveal that yes, the top of his head was no longer covered in hair but a fluffy patch of feathers that ran down the back of his skull.

“I’ll be at their home.” Crow murmured softly, disappearing with the quietest of wing flaps. Several black feathers flitting through the air.


	17. Gabriel and The Maw of Purgatory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel and Raphael fight through Purgatory and Gabriel gets hurt. Gabriel meets some victims of his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Pride month everyone! Totally forgot to say that on Saturday!

**.-~*~-.**  
GABRIEL  
***~-.-~***

Gabriel barely managed to drive his spear through the phoenix’s heart before Raphael launch himself of Gabriel’s back at the second. Raphael caught one of the four others that were launching fireballs at them. It wailed, a high-pitched ringing scream rivaling the screech of an angel.

“Right!” Gabriel dived to the left as a stream of fire soared inches past him. The heat would’ve felt amazing in the icy cold if not for the fact that it was trying to burn his wings to a crisp.

“Balthazar!” He warned the younger angel when he caught sight of their newest companion, blade driving smoothly into the underside of the phoenix that tried to drop down on his back.

“Don’t worry about me!” The other angel retorted and Gabriel rolled his eyes, focusing on Raphael’s back as the older Archangel ducked down under another barrage of flame from the oversized bird that was hovering a few hundred feet away. Flames barreling violently around it.

“Raph, duck!” Gabriel flung himself forward, throwing himself over Raphael and flying straight at the phoenix. He watched closely as the phoenix began to burn brighter, heat reaching across the space between them. Just as the flames of the monster began barreling in his direction he dropped down, listening to its scream when what he knew was Raphael’s spear flew through the air above him. Catching the overgrown pigeon in its heart.

“Gabriel!” He was already flailing his wings though, rolling over onto his stomach to beat them against the ground as the pain of the flames hit his right side. Sudden and sharp. Excruciatingly _hot_.

Raphael was on his back, hands swiping down at his wings to finish extinguishing the flames. He struggled to move. _Fight. We have to keep fighting_.

“Hold still, damn it! They’re gone!” _For now_.

“We have to-”

“Hold still!” Pressure came down on the base of his back, shoving his face back into the ground.

“Raphael, we need to _move_.”

“Look at his wing.” Balthazar pointed out completely unnecessarily.

“The cold will numb the injuries. We have to leave before they return. If we don’t, we’ll all die.”

It was cold. Always painfully cold. They had been huddled under the shelter of their wings when the phoenixes attacked them. Finding the warmth. The life.

Now they had to move again. Fight through the icy cold for the next eight hours.

“Raph, let me up.” Gabriel choked out, biting back a scream of pain when he tried to fold his wing back in. “ _Holy crap_.”

“ _Wait_. Balthazar, give me that branch and those vines.”

“Ah, Hell. _Fine_. Hurry up, though!” It wasn’t the most pleasant of experiences and he knew damn well it wouldn’t last if they found themselves in combat again but Raphael was able to work the bones of his wings into a super basic splint that would at the very least keep him from bending his wing. Unless he was desperate.

“Last time I was here I lost a leg. Let’s _move_.” Gabriel flinched when he tried to move it again out of reflex, the icy cold numbing the residual pain from his injuries for the moment.

“How far are we from the edge?” Balthazar asked, scanning the landscape as they began marching forward again.

“A day’s flight.” Raphael answered evasively.

“It isn’t worth it.”

“You should leave me. I’m nothing but a danger. I can defend myself.”

Raphael scoffed, “I abandoned Elo for you. I absolutely will not leave you to die.”

“You two are hopeless.” Balthazar didn’t try to take off, instead moving closer to the two of them. The cold was endless. Relentless. Pushing down against them. Trying to make them collapse. Give in. _Suffer._

 _Angels aren’t built for cold_ some part of his mind reminded him. Like he didn’t already realize that. They didn’t belong in the cold. They didn’t belong in _Purgatory_. They belonged beneath it and he was missing a wing now.

“ _Move_ , Gabriel.” He flinched, shooting a bitter glare at Balthazar when he smacked him in the torso with one of his perfectly functional wings.

“I can still kill you.” Gabriel huffed, smacking his little brother in the back of his head.

“You wouldn’t dare. Traveling in a group is far safer.”

“I very well could.” He countered, pressing closer to Raphael’s side. “How long do we have on foot, Raphael?”

“Once the sun rises, I will take a closer look at your wing. If you were dead, you would regenerate. Unfortunately-”

“I’m well aware how much of a burden my being alive is. How long will it take by foot?”

“Longer. There’s an option that I don’t particularly like that would potentially decrease the travel time but it could have major repercussions.”

Already, he knew what the other option was. It was the option that embarrassed the crap out of him and that would hurt like hell if done in the most conventional way. Something he would normally never agree to.

“You’re no good to me if you both lose your wings.”

“And I won’t bring you back if we don’t make it back before I die. I have to find the Devil while I’m here, Balthazar. _Those_ are my terms.”

“They’re ridiculous terms. But I’m here, am I not?”

“That’s the spirit.” With his good wing, Gabriel reached around to nudge his brother in the side. The dark air was deadly silent around them. If it was Earth, he knew there would be snow. Heavy thick layers of it.

By some miracle, over the next few hours, they were only attacked twice by a couple stray yetis. Even the worst creatures weren’t overly inclined to attack at night. The cold a heavy deterrent for any creature that wasn’t built for the weather.

“We need to stop. You need to rest, Raph.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“No.” He caught Raphael by his wing, meeting his gaze when the older Archangel whipped around to hold a spear to his chest.

“You need a nap. If you’re going to carry me, you will need the extra energy. Especially since I can’t tuck my wings away.”

“It’s dangerous.”

“So is flying while exhausted. That’s my weight you’ll be carrying.”

“He’s right, Raphael. We’ll guard you while you rest.”

“No fires this time.” Raphael conceded, looking between the both of them. “It will be cold.”

“It is cold either way.” They found their way under a small patch of trees, Gabriel groaning in pain when his injured wing was assaulted by a nearby bush. Too cold for the pain to truly register. Frozen to the core. He remembered Dean freezing to death in their first Purgatory days. Over and over. Unable to die because he was human and it wasn’t his afterlife.

Gabriel really wished it was that easy for him as they settled down on opposite sides of Raphael who curled up on the ground. His wings came out to rest in their laps while Gabriel and Balthazar folded three wings across the tops of their bodies, Gabriel’s damaged one an uncomfortable hole in their bubble of safety. Warmth.

Not a lot of it.

“What was humanity like?” Balthazar asked quietly, Raphael going quiet when he allowed himself to fall into unconsciousness.

“Miserable.” He answered just as quietly, shivering in the cold. “But better than this. We had been human before.”

“Why would you choose that?” Balthazar made a displeased sound.

“Because it was interesting. Something to experience. Considering your self-indulgent streak, I’m shocked that you never tried it.”

“Humans are vulnerable and messy. The risk has to be balanced by the reward.”

“Being human can be rewarding… when it’s your choice to become one. When there’s an option to escape.”

They talked for a while after that. Forcing themselves to keep speaking rather than let the cold consume them. Draw them under. By the time the sun rose, they were drooping into each other, barely sustaining consciousness as the cold melted away leaving them warm and comfortable.

Until his wing started to thaw.

The pain was a small stinging sensation at first. Prickling across the tender flesh of his wings. Radiating out and across the rest of his form.

“Raphael.” He nudged his brother in the side as Balthazar folded his wings back onto his back. “Wake up.”

Raphael’s eyes flicked open, wings folding into his sides as he returned to consciousness.

“Daytime.”

“You have to do my wings before it gets too warm.”

“Gabriel-”

“Get up.” He shoved at his brother’s side, finally turning to look at the damage he had sustained the night before. The makeshift splint was cracking, wouldn’t have lasted another fight.

But the wing.

It was in horrible shape. The flesh was red and angry, a massive patch of feathers missing from the center to the edge.

And that was only the front.

Swallowing, he forced himself to look away, watch Raphael and Balthazar as they got up and scanned the area before Balthazar armed himself again.

Raphael knelt in front of him. “I’m going to have to fold it into your back and bind it to your body. You’ll have to maintain your human visage.”

“I’m in a Vessel.” Gabriel reminded him, shifting a bit so that his wing could be easier accessed. “We need to do this before it warms up.”

“Shut up and _do it_.” He hissed out, closing his eyes and thinking about anything that wasn’t this.

 _Sam_.

“Bite down on this.” His mouth closed around the thick material that his brother pressed into his mouth. Leather. The belt that he’d had on when he arrived. The taste was strange yet familiar.

_“Gabriel- what the hell?” The hunter stumbled back, bug eyed and Gabriel recoiled back against the wall._

_“I don’t know.”_

_“You kissed me- what… why the hell…”_

_“I don’t know.”_

_“Gabriel-”_

_“It was- it was_ Cagn _and… I don’t know why I kissed you. I’m sorry, Sam. I just- something came over me.” Silence settled across them like a blanket of snow and Gabriel covered his face with his hands as it heated violently. “I’m sorry.”_

It was strange to think back to that moment. It was crystal clear as to why he had kissed the Hunter now. Back when he was still trying to comprehend human emotions and feelings, he hadn’t even hesitated in the ‘attack’. He had simply moved in. In that single moment, he had wanted nothing more than to feel the press of the Hunter’s mouth against his own.

He had been _attracted_ to him.

Then he had loved him. Still loved him. Why had it become a mystery to him?

 _I was wrong, Sam. I’m sorry._ As the pain enveloped him, he bit down hard into the leather, fighting the reflex to scream. _Too dangerous. Too dangerous_.

“Gabriel, we’re here. We have you.” He collapsed against Balthazar, sobbing quietly into his shoulder as Raphael carefully bound the damaged appendage around his torso, folded flat and uncomfortably against his back. There was a strap pressing into the injured flesh, a constant pressure that was now shooting flashes of white hot pain through his core. More and more distinct as his body warmed up.

“It is done.” It didn’t feel done. It felt like his wing was on fire. Worse than the night before. Not at all numb.

“Raph- this isn’t going to work. I _can’t_.”

“You can handle this.” He was shaking his head, desperate to break the bindings. So much pain. Agony. Relentless. “Only a day until we reach the edge.”

“Unless we have to _fight_. I’m helpless like this. I-”

“This was your idea. I know you, little brother. You’re strong.” A hand encompassed his face, dragged him away from Balthazar’s shoulder. “You can do this.”

“It _hurts_.”

“I know it does. We are so close, though. Remember why you’re here.” _Find the Devil. Lock him back up._

“Then we’ll get out of this miserable place and you can see your stupid boyfriend again.” Gabriel swallowed, getting to his feet.

 _Focus. Breathe. Don’t think about it_. “We need to move now. If we’re attacked, Raph… try not to drop me.”

“I won’t drop you.” His brother swore to him.

“Front or back?”

Balthazar snickered and Gabriel rolled his eyes, a smile quirking across his lips despite himself. It was a little funny.

“Carrying you on my back will be more practical if I have to fight.” But not if they needed to flee. The extra weight would bar him from sharp turns. Unfortunately, they didn’t have a lot of options. Raphael was built more for fight than flight.

 _Damn it. Should’ve watched my wings. Should’ve been more_ careful _. Stupid._

“Back it is.” He agreed, waiting until Raphael turned around before moving forward to wrap his arms around his neck. Climbing up a bit to hook his legs around his lower back. It was a bit awkward but easier than it might’ve been, Gabriel locking himself in place and folding his good wings in tight against his own back to make himself as small as possible.

“Let’s go.” Raphael’s wing beats were strong, sure, kicking up dust and leaves around them as they took to the sky. Flying forward over the barren and dirty blood drenched landscape beneath them where creatures had begun to crawl out of burrows. Vacate their piles of warmth to begin their daytime slaughter.

They weren’t the ones that worried Gabriel while he watched over Raphael’s shoulder. The land creatures couldn’t attack them. Not from the height they were at. Their lingering, constant threats were the creatures that could fly. There was merit in the mostly empty wasteland and that they could see anything flying in the distance during the day.

If they were attacked, Raphael would hopefully have enough time to dive down onto the ground so that Gabriel could dismount.

The distraction of looking for any and all threats was helpful to help him ignore the constant burning pain on his wing. The pain that of the wind whipping across the still raw and exposed flesh of the injuries.

They managed a solid hour and a half before things went for the worse, Balthazar occasionally diving low to antagonize the grounded monsters. Just because he could. It registered with Gabriel that if Balthazar was human, he would have been an adrenaline junky of some sort.

It also reminded him a bit of Loki.

They were attacked from behind. It was by some stupid brand of luck that Balthazar flew downward when the first fireball flew at them.

Raphael didn’t hesitate in swooping for the ground, the angle awkward and disorienting with the limited wing movements. Gabriel dropped off a good ten feet away from the ground, throwing himself to the side to spin and prepare for combat.

It wasn’t a phoenix that had shot at them.

“Angels.” The nephilim was hovering with four others by her side, the young creatures staring at them with a bitter hatred.

Gabriel’s throat closed. _Blood. Death._

“ _Execute them all. Those are my orders. Now, Gabriel.”_

“It is the Gabriel.” The male hissed out, hands engulfing in flames. “Kill them all.”

“Wait, Mordecai.” The first nephilim ordered while Raphael and Balthazar dropped down by his sides, armed for combat. Not that it would do them a lot of good. Nephilim were hard to kill on a normal day. “That is the Balthazar.”

“Jael.” Balthazar responded cautiously, folding his wings in as the five nephilim descended slowly.

“Create a perimeter, Jezebel. Nothing comes in until we decide their fates.” The female, _Jael_ , spoke firmly. Clearly the point of authority in the small group.

“This is ridiculous. They are-”

“I am aware of your views on the angels, Mordecai. If you don’t agree, leave. Otherwise, help Jezebel.” Three of the nephilim scurried away, a creature screaming violently from not far away. A werewolf, Gabriel realized. Engulfed entirely in flames by the one that was obviously Mordecai.

“May I?”

Jael shifted the weapon in her hand before tucking it into her utility belt, opening her arms for Balthazar to approach cautiously. Enveloping the girl in a hesitant hug.

_I have children. Children that hate me._

“It has been a long time. Where is your brother?”

“In a leviathan camp. We were headed towards it when we heard there was a living Archangel in Purgatory.” Her eyes settled on him, sharp and unforgiving. “Teloah A.”

_The Death. The Archangel that slaughtered an entire generation for nothing more than existing._

“That was another time.”

“We are _all_ dead because of him.” Balthazar backed away from Jael as the second nephillim drew a long and thin sword. Clearly forged angelsteel.

“I was wrong.” Gabriel murmured, spreading his arms to the side and stepping forward despite Raphael’s protests. “Jael, right?”

“Commander, to you.” She hissed out, own hand moving to her weapon. Ready to draw at a moment’s notice.

“Very well, Commander. I’m just trying to get back to Earth. I have to stop the Devil-”

“The Devil.” The second angel repeated, eyes flashing golden for a second before it dissipated.

“The Devil is here.”

“What-”

“The Devil has the leviathans united.” Jael spoke before the others could say a word.

“A plan.” The second added. “An assault on unified groups. Consume them. Turn them. No peace will remain.”

“Why would he do that?” Raphael asked, Gabriel’s mind jumping between concepts. Potential reasons for that sort of decision. What he could gain by turning the entirety of Purgatory against itself.

 _Coyote isn’t here_.

But the leviathans were. A relentless source of power that could potentially decimate the population. That had already almost done exactly that. Beings that could easily break through Lucifer’s Cage if they tried.

Was it possible that he’d changed directions? That failing to find Coyote had altered the plans?

“We think that it’s to draw attention away from him. He is just as much of a target are you are. If the monsters are fighting each other, he can do whatever it is that he’s doing without being hunted.”

“He’s here looking for Coyote.”

“What is Coyote?” Jael asked, clearly reluctant to be acknowledging his existence.

“A Trickster.”

“There are no Trickster gods in Purgatory.”

“We know that.” Gabriel scowled, hating the know-it-all tone in the nephilim’s voice. “But you wanted to know why he was here, that’s why.”

_‘Hey, Gabriel. About time I prayed, I know. Sort of almost died. Really brings things into perspective. Anyways, I kind of made a deal with Thor. Really need a favor. If you don’t die while down there, askin’ a huge favor that you drag Odin back with you.’_

Gabriel hesitated before reopening their psychic link. Something he wasn’t sure why he’d closed in the first place. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t normal. They were the same person.

_‘Wow, really. One prayer was all it took? Should’ve done that ages ago.’_

_‘You almost died?’_

_‘Hela fed me to the kraken but I’m fine.’_ Groaning, he rubbed at his eyes, turning away from the others so he could focus on the conversation. _‘Jeez, what the hel happened to your wing? That_ hurts _.’_

_‘Thank you for reminding me.’_

_‘Sorry. I’m alive for now. Nephilim found us. Really hoping they forgive me for the genocide.’_

_‘They called you The Death. I wouldn’t be too hopeful.’_

_‘Do you want me to die here?’_

_‘No. I don’t. You should’ve stuck to The Castle rather than risking your life out there. What are you_ doing _Gabriel?’_

_‘I’m trying to deal with the Devil before he releases Lucifer.’_

_‘Oh, but planning to release Michael can’t possibly go wrong? We’re smarter than that. Come on, Gabe. You know what Michael will do if he leaves. Human or not, he will destroy the peace in Heaven. You don’t love him enough to risk them all.’_

_‘It’s my fault he’s in there. But if we’re going to discuss stupid decisions, how about we discuss your situation with our daughter?’_

_‘I’ll handle it. In case you haven’t noticed, my plan has a lot more options than your potentially lethal one.’_ It wasn’t going to do them any good to argue. They couldn’t win an argument with each other. _‘Agreed. Look, you’re going to do your stupid thing and I’ll do mine. You saw Crow’s state.’_ It bothered them both. Loki had played it off for Sam’s sake but he could feel Loki’s fear. The fact that she simply _wasn’t_ strong enough to do some of the most basic things that she should have been able to. _‘Cagn has to be a priority.’_

 _‘Order.’_ Loki siphoned his memories, quickly catching on. _‘You confirmed it’s the sixth.’_

_‘If Order has Chaos only Dad knows what it will do.’_

_‘Now that I know for certain, it could explain why we fell apart. Order and Chaos together could create disorder in the natural order. When it hit us, it didn’t know how to handle our three souls so it divided us.’_

_‘And I believed you were the pretty one.’_ Gabriel teased her quietly, glancing over his shoulder to see Raphael and Balthazar arguing with Jael. Probably about his fate. _‘Can you update Sam and Dean?’_

_‘Later. I sent them into town to get whiskey.’_

In other words, she sent them to town to let her gather her thoughts. _‘How are you taking Hela’s confession?’_

 _‘You know how I’m taking it.’_ Loki snapped back, irritable and sad. _‘It isn’t okay, though. She murdered two Tricksters. Just because she could. And the only reason I’m alive is because she felt guilty for it. Know how messed up that is?’_

 _‘I don’t think I have any justifiable opinions on parent child relationships at the moment.’_ Gabriel admitted, watching the second nephilim step back so that Jael could step forward and hug Balthazar again.

_‘Was it really just us?’_

_‘Michael helped. But as far as anyone knows, it was just me. I killed them all because Father told me to.’_

_‘And you regret it. You need to make that clear, Gabe. They need to know you are sorry. That you have children.’_ Loki paused for a moment and Gabriel grimaced. _‘If you see ours, tell them you can bring them back. Don’t force it on them, though.’_

_‘Odin, Narfi, and Váli. I will try, Loki.’_

_‘Focus on staying alive now. Apologize. You will be fine.’_ It was obvious she was worried. There wasn’t a complete faith in his survivability in this situation. Not with only one wing. They couldn’t flee, they’d have to fight, and nephilim had a varying array of abilities that they simply couldn’t guess. They were inconsistent and unlike last time, they were prepared for combat. Death had turned them into warriors. Not children that posed potential threats.

_‘Tell Sam I’m sorry I was a dick. I would marry him. I was wrong.’_

_‘I’ll write a note.’_ In case he did die. In case Loki lost her memories of him. This conversation. A careful precaution because they both knew just how risky this situation was. _‘But you better come back. I haven’t gotten to beat your ass for smothering me.’_

_‘I’m sorry, Loki. That wasn’t… it was a mistake.’_

_‘Good. Now go apologize to those kids.’_ Loki closed off the connection, not in a way to shut him out but to give them privacy and space.

“Who were you speaking to?” Raphael asked him when he returned to his side.

“Loki.” He answered quietly, shifting his one good wing. “I know you all hate me. It’s justifiable.”

“You slaughtered us.” The other nephilim spoke bitterly. “We loathe you, Gabriel.”

“I know you do. But I’m asking you to let me live. Not forgive me. I don’t deserve forgiveness. I’m asking you to let me live so I can go home to my children. To the man I love.”

“This has to be a joke. Your _children_? You fathered nephilim.”

“Not nephilim.” Gabriel was quick to correct, trying not to be defensive. He knew better.

“Big bro went one worse and fathered Gods.” Balthazar spoke up. “Uncle Gabe’s a Pagan.”

Raphael made a quiet sound of disapproval but didn’t say anything either.

“A Pagan. The Gabriel became a Pagan.” The second nephilim spoke, disbelieving.

“Twice.” He spoke up, shifting from one foot to the next. “I became two different Pagan personas. Loki then Coyote.”

“You just told him you were speaking to Loki.”

“And you told us that Coyote was dead.”

“Putting it simply, I have three souls. Three distinctive identities that were split to be three separate identities by Cagn. It’s… complicated. But we’re all one person. And as Loki, I have six children.”

_Four by a frost giant. Two by my wife._

“ _Six_ children.”

“Leviathans!” One of the other nephilim called from the perimeter.

“I don’t believe you, uncle. I would gladly rip your heart from your chest if there was time to truly bask in it. You are going to come with us.”

“I can’t fly.” He pointed out, not at all pleased with the concept of being escorted by the nephilim.

“Raakeel, heal his injuries. You are coming with us, uncles. _Father_.”

“You don’t tell me what to do, Jael.”

“Then stay and be eaten. Your decision. We need to move.”

“Fine.” The female nephilim, _Raakeel_ , didn’t look pleased to approach him and he instantly stepped back, raising his spear.

“Can I leave him to be eaten?”

“ _No_. Ugo!”

“Hold still,” Another voice came from behind him and suddenly, he _couldn’t_ move. Something heavy coiling around his mind and freezing him in place.

“This won’t hurt,” It was not at all comforting when Raakeel circled around behind him, hand pushing into the tender flesh of his injured wing. Making him cry out in pain against his own accord as a warm brush of Grace pooled across the injuries. Flesh knitting itself together as feathers regrew. It was probably only a few seconds but it felt like ages.

“You are free.” That same male voice ordered and just like that he was free, spinning around. Wing ripping through the restraints that had barely contained the limb to begin with.

“ _Never_ touch an angel’s wing without their permission you little-”

“Please. Insult me. See how I feel.” Raakeel drew on her weapons before spinning and spreading her own wings out.

“Kill the fires, Jez. Anyone that doesn’t follow will have their wings frozen. Be left to be eaten by the leviathans.”

The nephilim known as Jezebel was in front of him now, a large circle of fire going out in a single solid puff of smoke as whatever flammable substance they had used became ice.

Jezebel and Mordecai launched off the ground, Gabriel shooting a look at Raphael.

“Leviathan camp. If they’re telling the truth, we may find The Devil there.”

Gabriel stretched out his freshly healed wing before taking a reluctant breath, flapping his wings several times to take flight. Trailing after the front three nephilim. The other two following behind the three angels.

The leviathans screaming in rage from the ground.


	18. Loki and the Truth of Coyote

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki finds out the secret Sam had been keeping and takes a trip to visit his daughter. When someone dies, Loki realizes she had to act fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Discussions of/a character commits suicide.

**.-~*~-.**  
LOKI  
***~-.-~***

Loki shifted on the bed, relaxing into Sam’s familiar embrace. _Alive. He’s alive._

“I think I prefer being the big spoon.” She declared, nuzzling back closer to him with a hum.

“You’re not a spoon. You’re a leech. You’re too short to be a big spoon.”

She breathed softly, moving closer to him. “You know you like it when I’m all wrapped around you.”

“Maybe.” He admitted sheepishly, kissing the back of her neck, “A bit.”

“I need to tell you something,” It had been longer than he’d planned but since Sam had ditched Dean in town for one reason and one reason only, she hadn’t been able to pass up the proposal of sexcapades. “And it’s absolutely going to ruin the afterglow but I’m an ass for not having told you the second you came back.”

“Do you have to?” Sam sounded hopeful and Loki sighed, rolling over to tangle their legs together under the comforter, arms wrapping around his neck. “I take it as a yes.”

“Sorry, Sammy. This one’s a bit too important to keep much longer.” Loki leaned in to kiss Sam, drawing him in for a deep and passionate kiss. “It’s about Gabe.” She admitted when they pulled apart, Sam tensing beneath the limited contact.

“I know. But, look. Right now, he’s in the maw of death. And being stuck there has gotten his brain in working gear. Doesn’t make what he said fine. He was a dick. We were a dick. But he’s an angel and angels have a lot more trouble with the whole human thing. Emotions are… complicated and ‘rest of our life’ means a whole lot more when you’re older than time.” She kissed the tattoo on his chest, the promise they’d made to themself before things got complicated. “To something like Gabriel, till death do we part is a scary as all hell thing. Because you’re human. Means you _will_ die. Sooner rather than later. It’s messed up and it _sucks_. But it’s easier for me to grasp than him. And I’m guessing that without another filter, Gabriel is a whole lot more angel. But he wanted me to tell you. He _needed_ me to make sure you knew he was sorry. That he loves you. And that he _would_ marry you.”

“He thinks he’s going to die in Purgatory.” Sam surmised, knowing them all too well.

“It isn’t Kali’s fault. Sigyn- Kali was doing what she could to help. And yeah. I’m pissed at her for it. But Gabe would’ve killed her if she refused to help.”

“You are _impossible_. All of you.” Sam pulled her closer to his chest, kissing her deeply and possessively. Awkward because he was tall as a damned beanstalk. “World’s dying and you’re… _you_.”

“That’s oddly unspecific.” She grinned, pushing him over to crawl on top of him, straddling his stomach. “Me is far too complicated to be an explanation. Tell me about Coyote.”

“I-”

“Not for long.” Loki quickly added, “But tell me something. The only thing I know about Coyote is that she was part of a group with Crow, Huehuecoyotl, and Anansi.”

“Well…” Sam paused, reaching up to touch her hips. “What do you want to know?”

“Sex.” Loki grinned at Sam who didn’t smile back. Gaze meeting hers.

“Coyote is asexual.”

“Wow- really?”

“Basically, yeah. You became abstinent when you became her. That abstinence was met with no sex drive. When we touched, I had to be mindful. I was always careful. There was this instance with another god when she was early into her time.”

“Who?”

“She never would give me a name. I don’t know if she even knew. But she taught me her limits. Nothing like being with you.”

“Pancakes.” Loki muttered, leaning down to kiss his face.

“Actually, that was her safeword too.” Sam chuckled softly, looking up at her. “You two argued _all the time_. But you melded. You want to know who Coyote was? She was your counterbalance.”

_The missing piece._

“Also, she was a lot better of a kisser than you.”

Loki blinked, pouting petulantly. “Really?”

“Yes,” Sam chuckled, “You _hate_ that.”

“I would.” She hummed, imagining the concept of that third person. A third that made up their weird little combination of personas. _My counterbalance_.

It was strange to think of. But she knew it made sense as well. Just as certain of the idea as she had been since she woke up.

“What do you remember about the day you split?” Sam asked her, “I’m curious how you rewrote it.”

“That’s easy. Which probably means it’s wrong,” Loki admitted, “We were having sex. Then me and Gabe split. He took over and backed off. I somehow managed to take control and tried to get you to finish the fun. We argued about it, then we tried to summon Cagn. And got very drunk.”

“It’s close.” Sam admitted, “Coyote took over immediately after the split. She was also the one that got drunk with me.”

“Drinker. I have to admit. I didn’t expect that one.”

“She usually didn’t. It was a hard situation.” Frowning, Loki leaned down to kiss him again, relaxing into their contact.

An hour later someone knocked on their door. “Are you decent?” Dean. Ugh.

“Go away.” Loki buried her face in Sam’s chest.

“We’ll be out in a minute, Dean.”

“No we won’t!” Loki tried to drag Sam back when her Hunter pushed up into a sitting position. “Tell him to screw off.”

“We still have things we need to do, Loki. The world doesn’t stop ending because we take a break.”

_Order. It’s Order. But how the hell do I tell them that? Order’s way above their paygrade._

“Pretty sure it does. You’re the center of the universe.”

Loki pouted as Sam moved around the room, gathering them both some clothes from the dresser. “Those aren’t mine.”

“No.” Sam confirmed, throwing her a long dress she wouldn’t ever wear in the modern era.

“It’s so tame.”

“Get dressed, Lo.” Sam told her before making his way out of the room. Sighing dramatically, she got up and walked over to the dresser, eyes settling on the warded lockbox on top of it.

Sam had told them he put that scroll in it. Considering it for a second, she plucked the key from under the edge of the dresser and popped the lock off of the front of the wooden box. As long as it was warded, she couldn’t touch it. But it didn’t mean she couldn’t look. The lid opened easily enough and she peeked inside.

 _Fog_.

It was almost worrying to see the extent that Sam had gone to hide the contents. The scrolls were there but they couldn’t look at them. So why had he kept them?

Something curled in her stomach as the idea that he was hiding the scrolls didn’t seem to add up with the information she was given.

_‘Hey, Crow. I know we’re not friends. Question if you have a chance.’_

_‘I won’t come to you. What do you need, Loki?’_

_‘The Death Marks. How did you figure out they were Death Marks?’_

_‘Sam read the names. Coyotl the numbers. We figured out they were ordered markers for deaths. When Lugh and Dolos dropped dead we became certain it was the cause.’_

Sam had told him that no one could look inside the scrolls. That it was too dangerous.

‘ _Don’t try to read them, Loki. What happened to Coyote will happen to you. You can’t look at them and neither can Gabriel.’_

 _‘Why? What-’_ He was sent the sudden image of a woman with his face standing in the midst of Cagn’s dining area. On the table. Looking down at him with eyes that made no sense. Smokey grey irises. Moving like a living storm.

 _Coyote_. She knew. Undoubtedly. Certainly. That was _Coyote_. Eyes wrong. _Soul_ wrong. She stumbled back, head whipping down when the animal skin somehow appeared in her hand. Pulsating in her grasp. All but begging her to open it.

How had it escaped the box?

“Sam!” She stared at the scroll when she dropped it on the floor. Bound in a bow. A present. It was suddenly very clear whose name was in it. Why Sam had hidden it.

“Loki- _what the hell_?”

“That one’s mine, isn’t it?” She didn’t look away from it as Sam grabbed it off the floor, returning it to the box and locking it back in. “ _Sam_.”

“Yes.”

“That’s the one that Coyote gave Phoenix, isn’t it?”

“It doesn’t mean anything, Lo.”

It meant a lot of things. Most importantly, it meant she was already destined for death. Death Marks didn’t just go away. Not unless they were broken.

“Loki, I know what you’re thinking. Stop. There’s always a solution.”

“Who is the fifth name?”

“What-”

“Sam, who is the fifth Trickster that was Death Marked?”

“It was… Sun Wukong. But that doesn’t-”

Loki was shaking her head, throwing on a mask of joy. “Oh, it’s perfect! Sam, I’m under a magical contract. I _can’t_ die until Sun Wukong has. I’m safe until he dies. Because my soul is bound to whatever asshole it was that created the Death Mark to begin with. They hold the contract on my soul. That’s why they’re numbered. It’s a countdown for us.”

“What are you going to do, Loki?”

“I’m going to Helheim to talk to my daughter. Coyote isn’t in Purgatory which means she _has_ to be with Cagn. Two birds, one stone.”

“Loki, _wait_.”

“Sam, we’re dying. All of us. It means I need to move while I’m still for all intents and purposes immortal. I know you’re worried, and it’s adorable. But I’ll be back. With Freyja and Hela by my side.”

“Damn it, Loki. Just- be careful.”

“One other thing. Tell Cas that Gabe needs help escaping Purgatory. If the angels band together, they _might_ be able to save him. It can’t come from me, though. You need to ask. It needs to go through him. Not from me.”

“Can they do that?”

“Without severe causalities? No. But if I’m going to die, Gabriel _has_ to live. It’ll be a hundred times easier to bring us back if one of us is on Earth.”

 _Without you, Gabriel is a thousand times more likely to try to save Michael. This is a bad idea_. Some part of her mind insisted, Loki shrugging it off before raising her hands to snap.

“I’ll be back in an hour, Sam.” Then she was gone, appearing outside the entrance to Hela’s throne room.

 _Damn it_.

“Loki, you aren’t welcome here.”

“I’m absolutely welcome here. Move, Sibbe.”

“No.”

Loki ignored her as she shoved forward, pushing her way into the throne room where Hela was seated with Sleipnir kneeling before her.

Loki swallowed.

“Do you confess to your crimes?”

“I did nothing wrong.”

“I don’t wish to play this game with you, brother. _Do you confess_?” Hela met her gaze from across the room before rising from the seat, staring down at Sleipnir.

“Yes. I killed them.”

“Do you know the punishment for murdering a Valkyrie is, Sleipnir?” _Murdering a Valkyrie. Sleipnir killed a Valkyrie? Who?_ Why _? What is the point to doing that?_

 _“_ Death. I don’t care, Hela. They mocked me for being imprisoned. They deserved _to_ die. If you think that some Loki loyalist Valkyrie are more important than your brother then kill me. Execute me. I guess I deserve it. But if you think for a moment that she would protect you when the time comes, you really don’t understand that woman at all.”

“This isn’t about _Father_. This is about the crime that _you_ committed against _my army_. My women. They trust me and yes, they were wrong for coming to your cell to mock you. But it doesn’t give you the right to _kill them_. No one has that right. The mindless murder of the Valkyrie is _not_ tolerated.”

Loki ground her teeth when she stepped forward. Because she couldn’t do that. She _couldn’t_ stand by while it happened. Not if she could stop it.

“I protest this judgement.”

“Father-”

“I’m still part of Helheim.” She continued, interrupting her daughter. “You have removed my banishment. I have every right to interject in a trial. Especially when that trial is for _my_ child.”

“A child you claim to hate.”

“A child I do hate.” Loki corrected, pressing forward. “Who did he kill?”

“Hilde, Hrefna, and Svala.” She flinched at those names. Knew those names all too well. Past lovers. Women she knew _very_ well. “Do you still wish to protest my judgement?”

“Yes.” Loki didn’t dare look at her son as she approached the throne, drawing her blade and resting it on her knee. “I do.”

“Under what grounds?”

“Under the grounds that your Valkyrie were behaving like children. They died the death of fools. Reckless and childlike. If Odin’s mount killed them? They probably were dead weight in battle to begin with.” The words were vile. False as all hel. But if there was one thing, she was good at, it was lying. And she wasn’t lying to her daughter. She was lying to the Queen of Helheim. A very important distinction in this situation. Even when Hela knew damn well it was a lie. Because this wasn’t about the truth of the matter, about the validity of the statements or even if Loki was a hundred percent positive that she actually _wanted_ to save Sleipnir.

It was the principle concept.

“That isn’t a valid reason for _murder_ , Father.”

“If they had been acting like the soldiers they’re meant to be. They would be alive now.” Loki paused, holding his daughter's gaze. "I will take his place."

"Father-”

"If you execute him. I will take his place. That's my case."

"You don't care about him. You hate him."

"I do hate him. But I am very confident that you will see my side of this."

"This is... what do you want Father? Why are you here?" She demanded, clearly taken completely off guard by her sudden choice to protect the child she openly admitted to hating.

"I'm here because I have a right to be. And because we need to talk. You sent me away knowing very well that I'd come back. Because we aren't done talking and I'm low on time."

"Take back your objection."

"Tell me you won't execute him."

"I- Damn it, Father. You choose now to act like you care?"

"I do care. About you. And you won't forgive yourself for executing your brother. So, tell me you won't execute him and I'll withdraw my protest. Otherwise you have a really difficult decision to make."

If she kept it up there was a high chance that she _would_ end up being executed in Sleipnir's place. It was a very comfortable turn of events knowing that she was Death Marked. Temporary immortality. For whatever it was worth.

"This is ridiculous. You're trying to throw away my authority."

"I'm simply challenging your choice. I very firmly believe that this is in your best interest, daughter. Whether you like it or not. Make your choice." She spread her arms to the side, dispersing her blade and rising to her feet to step back.

"I don't want to be spared because of her." Sleipnir bit out angrily from next to her, Loki rolling her eyes at the petulance.

"Too bad. That's the burden of sharing my blood. Make your choice, Hela."

"I won't execute him."

“Then I withdraw my objection.” Loki conceded, stepping back completely and circling around the room. Grabbing Drifa by her wrist, she pulled her away from the rest of the Valkyrie to one of the smaller exits. A pantry of some sort. _Candy_.

“Loki, what-”

“How many Tricksters has she killed, Drifa? I want the truth.” Drifa pursed her lips, crossing her arms over her chest and watching as Loki cycled through the cabinets until she stumbled across the hot cocoa. “Perfect.”

“Coyote drank that a lot when she was here.”

“Did she eat all my sugar cubes?” Loki asked, flinching slightly as she moved to continue making the beverage rather than wasting his powers to summon it.

“Bottom left drawer.”

“Good. Now answer the question.”

“Just two. But- she’ll kill me if I tell you anything else.”

“I can protect you against her. You have the benefit of being a Valkyrie and she has the burden of being my daughter. You helping me isn’t going to end with your death. I swear.” Loki stared at the water as it began to boil over the stove. Feeling exceptionally human in that moment. “But if you don’t tell me, I’ll kill you. And we both know Hela won’t execute me for it. She’s already had the chance to do that and she didn’t.”

“I wish I was shocked that you were playing dirty.”

“We don’t have long before Hela finishes exiling her brother. So, tell me what I want to know. Now, Drifa.”

“There are three. In the cells.”

“Who?”

“Kaula, Kokopelli, and Pinčiukas. Most Tricksters have gone into hiding.”

“That’s because we’re _dying_.” Loki scowled, dumping the chocolate mix in the hot water before stirring it violently with a spoon. “Her damned execution game is a waste of time. I’m going to kill her.”

“Loki-”

“Thank you for helping me with my drink. Been a while since I made it on my own you know,” She waved her hand and Drifa relaxed a bit, disappearing from the room quickly while Loki finished making the cocoa. Once it was piled full of sugar cubes, she made her way into the throne room where Hela was waiting at her throne.

“What do you want, Father?”

“I righted my wrongs with your damned brother. You’re going to help me find Coyote and Cagn.”

“You completely disregarded my authority in front of all of my army!”

“That’s because you were making a stupid decision. I cared for those women. I did. But they were foolish to antagonize him. Especially on my behalf considering I wanted _nothing_ to do with him. I don’t think they deserved to die, but you wouldn’t have forgiven yourself for executing him because you actually _do_ love him.”

“I don’t.”

“Oh, save it, Hela. It’s me and you in here. You love all of your brothers deeply. Even your half-brothers. Just because you won’t say it, it doesn’t make it true. If you’d executed Sleipnir for killing three members of your army, you _wouldn’t_ have forgiven yourself. So, thank me. For helping you with a very difficult and uncomfortable position. Then help me with Cagn.”

“And what about when Freyja executes you?”

“She can’t. Just like you can’t. I’m under a Death Mark. Means I can’t die until another Trickster that I’m not naming dies. We’re ordered.”

“You’re serious?”

“Yep. I’m serious. Means death threats are worthless as long as I’m not next in line.”

“Very well. Let’s go see Freyja.”

“Not yet.” Loki met her daughter’s gaze, reading her closely. “I want to visit your dungeons.”

“Why?” Hela’s eyes flashed. For just a moment. A subtle moment of guilt.

“Because I love you. But right now, I don’t trust you. You killed two Tricksters while I was in a coma. Considering the state that we’re all in, I don’t trust that you haven’t gone after anyone else.”

“She should have stayed quiet-”

“Daughter, let me make one thing _very_ clear. Drifa said _nothing_. I did ask her for information. But she told me to screw off. Guess I don’t have the sway with your girls that I used to.”

Loki was actually pretty proud of herself when she realized that Hela actually bought it, mouth twisting into a pleased smile. Yeah, she didn’t like lying to her children. But Hela was a different game. It wasn’t just lying to her child. It was lying to a Queen. A Queen and a general of a very powerful army.

“That is good news at least. I’m sorry, Father. I’ve been… angry.”

“Did you kill Veles?”

“Not yet.” She scowled, annoyance replacing the pleased look pretty quickly. “We went after him but he’s missing which has left us to assume that he’s wherever the rest of the Tricksters are. Honestly, he was the one I wanted to kill from the start. Then I got my hands on Set and I decided why not? I’ve been… wrong. I know I have. But I’ve been so _angry_.”

“Let’s go let whoever you have go. Then we can deal with Freyja.” Loki sipped at her cocoa as she followed Hela through her palace. Navigating down to the darker parts of the domain. It didn’t pass her notice that one of the larger cells was decorated nice, a comfortable bed and a bookshelf littered with books adorning the walls.

A giant hole in the front of it, ground splattered with blood.

“Loki.” Pinčiukas moved up against the side of his cell, reaching out to touch her hand as they approached. “I hope I’m reading you right.”

“My daughter is sincerely sorry for kidnapping all of you.” Loki moved to the right to kneel in front of Kokopelli, touching the other man’s shoulder through the bars. “She was wrong. Right, Hela?”

“I’ve been… out of touch.”

“You killed Set and Amarok.”

“I can only apologize for my crimes and release you all.”

“Convergence at Cagn’s.” Loki told them, rising to her feet to open Pinčiukas’ cage first, pulling the other man into a careful hug before releasing him. “We don’t have time for you to argue with her. You need to go.”

“What about you, Loki?”

“I’m Death Marked. I’m going to die one way or another.” Kokopelli rose from his cage next, moving slowly to join Pinčiukas. Never looking away from Hela. “At least out here I can do something worthwhile without risking my life.”

“If Cagn’s domain collapses while we’re all there, it will destroy us.”

Kaulu didn’t spare any of them a glance or word before disappearing just outside of his cell.

“Come with us.”

“Can’t do that. I’ve got a third to find.”

“I liked Coyote.” Pinčiukas mused, crossing his arms over his chest. “She was kind.”

“I just saved your life. That was kind of me.” Loki reminded him with a roll of her eyes. “Go. Let them know that if my daughter pulls this stunt again that I give them full permission to torture her endlessly.”

“Thanks, Father.” Hela muttered sarcastically, tone full of betrayal.

“You know better. If the situation wasn’t dire, I’d be leaving you to their mercy right now. I’m sorry, Hela but you crossed a line.”

Pinčiukas nodded at her before disappearing with Kokopelli in tow.

“You’re angry.”

“Justifiably. I will get you after I speak with Freyja.” There was a wounded look on her daughter’s face, probably brought on by the harshness in her tone. It was an impossible thing to accept, though. Hela killing her was one thing. Killing other Tricksters just because she could? It was sickening.

“She probably will kill you when you arrive.” Loki ignored the warning before snapping her fingers, inhaling sharply as she genuinely felt a drain on her power. A complex tug that almost felt like a warning.

Freyja was in a garden, tall plants towering up around them. Two large albino tigers dropped down for the top of the tree, moving in unison towards her as Freyja turned around.

“Loki.”

“Freyja.” She greeted, spreading her arms to the side. “Thor came to you, right?”

“He did.” She confirmed, raising her hand. The tigers stopped a couple feet from him, sharp teeth exposed, ground ripped up in their tracks. “You have offered an interesting bargain, Loki.”

“I don’t have time for the empty threats or bargaining. I need your help. I’m Norse. Your power is the most compatible with mine.”

“Why not ask Thor?”

“Because Thor isn’t the original God of Valhalla. I need you and I need Hela. Kill me after we perform the spell. I don’t _care_. But help me find them before we all die. I am _begging_ you, Freyja.” Swallowing her pride, she dropped to her knees. Spread her arms to the side and met Freyja’s golden gaze. “Please.”

“Begging. That’s cute, Loki. Very cute. The desire for my assistance is touching. And you’ve caught me in a very generous mood. Your other portion is in Purgatory. Is he getting Odin?”

“Yes.” _Hopefully._

“If my husband doesn’t come back to me soon, I will make you wish I had killed you. I swear this on my life. On every one of the souls in Fólkvangr.”

“If Gabriel doesn’t get him, I will bring him back myself. But first we will find Cagn. That’s my deal, Freyja. That and nothing else.”

“Agreed.” The tigers stretched out before turning and climbing up the big tree.

“How do we do this, Loki?”

It was a valid question that she wasn’t sure how to answer. She knew what it did. The basic concept. But when she’d tried to perform it before it hadn’t been successful. The spell was a hypothetical. And while she had definitely felt a drag from it the first time, she hadn’t had enough power to back it.

“Meet me in Bymarka in an hour. I need to gather the remaining ingredients.”

“I will see you then, Loki.” She nodded to Freyja before returning home. Breathing deeply, she stumbled forward as a white hot pain shot through her soul. Burning across her being.

Her eyes slammed shut.

 _Sun Wukong._ Dead. Sun Wukong was _dead_.

Which meant she was next.

_‘Crow, what happened?’_

_‘Come to us._ ’ Against better judgement, she abandoned her plans to talk to Sam and teleported to Cagn’s home. No one was gathered in the central area. She had to search around a bit, finding a few people resting together in spare rooms. Mostly quiet.

Crow was in the garden with Veles and Kokopelli. Coyotl was laying next to the entrance with Iktomi and Kutkh. Varying arrays of appearances had been drawn from the Tricksters in their weakened states.

Sun Wukong’s body lay in the garden, eyes closed, body resting against the bush.

A stake in his heart.

“What happened?”

“He did.” Veles answered quietly, tail curled around his ankle. “There is something you must hear.”

“Sun Wukong killed himself? _Why_? Why would he-”

“For the same reason that Coyote did.” Veles interrupted, Loki’s head snapping up to stare at the other God when she took a step back.

“Coyote didn’t kill herself.”

“Not directly, no.” Veles confirmed and Loki’s blood began to boil as she began to understand what he was saying.

“You didn’t.”

“Coyote came to me. She was desperate. Told me she couldn’t kill herself because she… because she was scared. You know how we are. How hard it is. I told her to screw off. I wasn’t interested in buying into her game. I didn’t need a Hunter chasing me for killing their lover. Then she explained it to me. Told me that she was Death Marked. That if I didn’t kill her, she would lose her mind. That she already was. She told me she had to find them. That she needed to find Cagn.”

“So you killed her.” Loki said slowly, hair raising on the back of her neck. Coyotl growled from somewhere behind her. Irritable. “Why is he still standing here, Crow?”

“Because of the reason why he did it.” Crow said quietly.

“The Death Marks were Cagn’s.” Veles continued, not daring to look at her. “Six names chosen because of the amount of energies they housed. She read her scroll. She absorbed every bit of the information and it nearly burned her up completely. She wanted to die before the scroll claimed her life because she wanted to find Cagn before they killed everyone. Because she wanted to confirm everything. Five of the six names are dead now, but we don’t know the sixth. We need it, though. Someone has to read that name. Whoever the last one is needs to die. Because there’s a very good chance Cagn chose the names to save themself and we’re running out of time.”

 _They don’t know_.

“I don’t have it.”

“No,” Crow agreed. “But Sam does. You need to retrieve it from him.”

“Look, I love the idea as much as the next. Some magical plan from Cagn. But there’s no way that’s why he did it. It’s pretty damned obvious what happened here.”

“Oh? What do you think happened then, Loki? Do tell.” Loki glared at Veles who was regarding her with little patience.

“You killed Coyote. Then you killed Sun Wukong. Probably to siphon power off of them because you’re one of the weaker ones.”

“Tricksters can’t kill Tricksters.” Crow reminded her unhelpfully. “Not unless there’s no other option. Not unless the other party _forces_ you to act.”

“She wouldn’t have done that to me.” Loki didn’t stop looking at Veles. Trying to find any indication of the lie he had to be telling. Because the other option was impossible. It was… “To _Sam_.”

“Coyote was never suicidal.” Crow agreed, touching her shoulder. “But Coyote was logical. If she thought that she might be able to resolve things with Cagn, she would’ve gone to extreme lengths to do it.”

 _‘She told us we were all going to die if we didn’t find Cagn.’_ Coyotl added telepathically, not bothering to join them.

“Why wouldn’t she have told anyone what she was doing? _Sam_ , damn it. She loves him.”

“No one _wants_ to tell the ones they love that they’re about to kill themselves.” Veles said quietly. “Which is why none of us saw this coming.”

That twisted like some sort of knife to her gut. Far too relatable for her to even begin to describe it. Put it into words. Because that was _exactly_ what every one of her next moves was. The probability of coming out alive was shrinking faster and faster as the knowledge of her Death Mark burned in the back of her mind.

She felt the scroll again. Burning in her pocket. Asking her to look. To see.

_Not yet you bitch._

“Crow… you go ask Sam for the scroll. I’ve got to go find Cagn.” She disregarded all of them, kneeling down to touch the soft fur of Sun Wukong’s face.

_‘Gabriel, how is Purgatory?’_

_‘We’re close to the leviathan camp. The nephilim say they can sense the Devil- Loki, don’t do this.’_

It had been a week since they talked by Purgatory time. The irregular timezones of Purgatory making themselves known when they broke through to communicate.

 _‘I’m going to die either way. Death Marks don’t just go away. If they’re right… well, I’ll be the final piece to whatever it is that Cagn’s doing. Don’t let Michael out, Gabe. You know how it’ll end. You_ know _.’_ Gabriel didn’t answer, silently closing their connection.

Feeling bitter and frustrated, she drew on her powers and teleported to one of the more wooded areas of Bymarka, one of the only heavily warded places in the area. Guarded from human presence.

“Father.”

“Hela.”

Freyja was pacing, thoughtful. Her gaze slid across Loki’s form and a smile curled on her mouth. “You don’t look so good, Loki.”

“Happens when you’re dying.” She scowled, “Surely you have the same damned memo as every other God on the planet.”

“Oh, I’ve heard. I’ve also heard the tales of the fertility Gods, the missing reapers, the waking calm beneath the Earth. The dramatic changes in the very core of our worlds that can only be caused by something _more_.”

Missing reapers was a new one. What the hell could Order have against _reapers_?

She wasn’t really sure she wanted to know.

“So, what do we do, Loki?”

She chewed on her cheek before walking to the center of the area, stripping down to her underwear and closing her eyes. Old magic words began to appear on her skin. Marking and littering it with an old paste that she didn’t quite recognize. The words foreign for a way that became abundantly clear as they began to litter her bare skin.

An old Native American language of some sort. Unfamiliar. Beautiful in a way. Elegant and smooth.

“Coyote.” Hela surmised and she nodded, looking down at the markings that trailed down her stomach. “This was her spell. She used it on Anansi, didn’t she?”

“Probably.” Loki didn’t know. But the memories of her attempt with it before were just too distorted. Too vague.

“What do we do?”

“I need open channels to Helheim and Fólkvangr’s souls. It won’t take their energy. It’s just a conduit.”

“A conduit of the dead.” Freyja surmised and she nodded.

“As weak as you are, it may kill you.”

“I know.” She held out her hands. “But there’s a Death Mark sitting in my back pocket waiting to kill me anyways. If this gives me her location… Hela, I need you to make sure it gets back to Sam. Can you do that?”

“You won’t die.”

Loki snorted, taking Freyja’s hand when the Goddess finally approached her. “Maybe. But those odds decreased drastically when Sun Wukong died. Now come here, Hela.”

Her daughter looked at her for several long moments before relenting and approaching her. Reaching out to take her other hand.

“If it looks like I’m dying. Don’t stop. Keep it open until I give a location.”

“Or until it kills you.” Hela said quietly, Loki choosing to disregard it as she bowed her head.

Silence fell across them as she began to chant softly. Unfamiliar words flowing off her tongue like she’d spoken them before. Like they were truly hers. Like it wasn’t some sick and twisted warping of her mind because she couldn’t handle the loss of her daughter.

_Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One._

She screamed.


	19. Gabriel, Sam, and Coyote and The Last Straw

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel and the nephilim reach the leviathan camp and Sam and Dean use the location Loki was able to get to find where Cagn is. Kali has an idea and Sam is willing to listen.

**.-~*~-.  
**GABRIEL  
***~-.-~***

Gabriel collapsed from the sky as he felt a _snap_ throughout his entire being. A single, sharp motion that felt like a blade cutting through the very centralized core of his entire being. He gasped sharply when he hit the ground, wings tucking around his body to protect him from the creatures that assaulted him the moment he collided with the landscape.

 _Dead. Loki. Loki is dead. Loki. Remember her._ He held onto those memories for dear life. Clinging to the very essence of _Loki_. Of his other half. Because he couldn’t afford to lose her too. He couldn’t be alone.

Despite his best attempts, slowly things began to cloud. Years of memories dissipating and melting into nothingness. The very premise of a _them_ mixing and melding into a _him_.

Him.

Gabriel.

After rubbing his head, shaking off confusion and disorientation, Gabriel threw himself forward to drive a blade through a werewolf’s heart.

_My blade. Why did I not have it before?_

The first werewolf went down with a scream, the others erupting in hot waves of flames around him as the nephilim finally got with the program and decided to help him.

“Gabriel?”

“I’m fine.” He shrugged off Raphael, rising to his feet and looking around. They were probably an hour out from the leviathan encampment. The stray pack of werewolves the only things that seemed to be in any vicinity of the place.

“No, he’s not.” Balthazar was eyeing him with something Gabriel couldn’t quite identify. Suspicion? Knowing? What did Balthazar know?

“I’m _fine_.”

“Tell me you see it too, Brother.”

“We don’t have time for this.” Mordecai complained from above them. “Leave them for dead. Or even better. Let me burn them.”

“Watch yourself, little one.” Gabriel glared up at the fiery nephilim who scoffed.

“Come on, Father.” Jael told Balthazar.

“Gabriel-”

“We have to finish this.” Gabriel disregarded Raphael, drawing himself to his feet and spreading his wings. “Let’s go.”

“Gabriel…”

Ignoring his brother, he launched himself upwards, trailing after the nephilim that shook their heads and returned to their flight towards the leviathan camp. Raphael and Balthazar stayed behind while they followed, talking quietly behind him. What about? He didn’t know. Or really care.

He had one goal now. One single goal. Get to the leviathans. Get the Devil. Bring it to The Cage and get his damned brother out of his prison.

He had to save him.

When the time came, Sam and Dean would understand. They had to. They were his family but so was Michael. Whether they liked it or not. He needed to help his brother.

“Be prepared.” Jael warned them, Ugo throwing himself forward as a canon fired off from the distance. In the midst of the wasteland was a large lake, boiling black familiar goo moving around in the middle of it. The nasty pool was surrounded by a military settlement, large and slightly disturbing. Dark figures stood at the canons. When Jezebel joined Ugo’s side, ice flew from her exposed hands, flooding down in crisp icicles at the leviathans manning the cannons that fired at them again. Relentless, burning.

It was a full-blown battle between two sides as the nephilim descended on the camp. Their flying only working in their favor because the camp was on the _ground_ and the creatures kept missing with the fiery bombs that were likely drenched in holy oil. The leviathan were like roaches though, coming from nowhere as they continued their assault.

Gabriel hadn’t fought like he did there in a very long time, discarding his Vessel in favor of proper angelic combat. Warping his form to help properly perform the necessary combat against the ancient beings. They couldn’t be killed. Not in this scenario. They were already dead and even when they _were_ alive it was near impossible to destroy them. So, most of his attacks consisted of dismemberment. Removal of chucks of their physical manifested forms. Mordecai and Jezebel were like two sides of a spectrum as they froze and burned the creatures alive. Ugo stepping through the battlefield with the softest utterance of words. Leviathan soldiers stopping in his track and going silent. Motionless.

At the end of it all Balthazar was the most injured, Ugo standing in the midst of them all with a single leviathan at his side.

“We are friends.” The one leviathan said. “Cease your attacks!” The leader, Gabriel realized. It was their leader. Ugo had used whatever weird manipulative power he possessed to gain the upperhand. To end the battle. Just like that.

And they stopped. Because they were hiveminds. All at once, those leviathans stopped attacking, dropping their weapons. Jael seemed satisfied with the outcome, wings fluffing out behind her as she approached the other nephilim.

“Where is my brother?”

“Tell her.” Ugo told the leader, Gabriel and Raphael carefully approaching through the crowd of silent leviathan. Eerily silent. An army under the hands of a nephilim that hated him.

“Below the surface.”

“Where is the Devil?” Gabriel cut in, flaring his wings behind him.

“With the prisoners.” The leviathan was reluctant in the answer and Gabriel breathed deeply.

“Take us there.”

The silence stretched long and heavy as they entered into a room, descending a long trail of stairs. Gabriel was careful, prodding the walls carefully for any indication of exterior warding. Breaking the ones that he recognized as traps. Defense wards against divinity.

At the bottom they found a dungeon. Four nephilim were resting in their own cells. But those didn’t matter. What did matter was the familiar entity at the end. One he _hated_ to see. Lounged out looking cozy and comfortable until he saw them. Then he was fearful, scrambling to his feet and stumbling back. “No.”

“It’s time to go _back_ , Devil.”

“You don’t belong here, Gabriel. How did you find-”

“Because you’re alive and the living stink to the dead.” He stormed across the space, grabbing his Archangel blade and holding it up when he tore open the cell door.

It took all of his willpower to not just stab him through the heart. End it there. It was too much of a risk. There was a high probability that that sort of explosion. That his death could recoil back, add to the damage The Cage had already taken which was clearly the only reason the Devil had come to Purgatory to begin with. To gather souls to break his other portion out… or was that wrong?

“You’re coming with me.” Gabriel caught Devil around his wrist, spinning him around and pinning his arms to his back. “We’re leaving.”

“We haven’t given you permission.” Jael reminded him as she hugged the nephilim that had to be her brother close. “You’re-”

“You don’t give me permission, Jael. I’m older than you and I have a responsibility that surpasses your desires. This is about Lucifer destroying the Earth.”

“Is it, Uncle? Or is it about you saving the other Archangel that resides in that Cage.”

“Does it matter which?” Gabriel dragged a protesting Devil through the dungeon. “Thank you for your help. We’re getting out now.”

“What about Odin?” Raphael asked him and he frowned, looking at his brother.

“What about a Pagan?” It took Raphael a moment before he shook his head, looking away.

“Nevermind.”

“I’m going to stay here.” Balthazar told them, touching Raphael’s arm. “Take care of him.”

“I won’t be able to help him with this.” Raphael answered quietly, flexing his wings out. “But I’ll do what I can. You’re sure?”

“They’re my kids.” Balthazar shrugged like it was that simple. Like having the abominations wasn’t the aftermath of a terrible crime committed thousands of years ago.

“Then I wish you the best of luck in death, Balthazar.” Raphael told him, shaking his head again before ascending the stairs. Gabriel trailed after him, Devil barely holding himself upright while trying to keep up with the both of them.

 **.-~*~-.  
**SAM  
***~-.-~***

Sam held it together as they drove south. Towards Austin. Kali had moved them most of the way but she’d refused to take them further.

 _“Summoning Primordial entities is a reckless task that I will not help you with. Not even for Loki.”_ She’d told him.

He didn’t believe her. Not in the least bit surprised when they pulled into town and she was standing outside the entrance of a hotel- much nicer than their usual motel choices. He’d told a confused Dean to pull into the parking lot and she’d offered them two key cards. “You’re going to die here.”

“Yet, you’re here.” He countered and she smiled grimly.

“It does appear that way, yes.” Sam pulled her in, kissing her gently. Careful and quick.

“Not a rebound.” She scowled, stepping into his arms to hug him tightly anyways.

“You aren’t a rebound. We have a location. They won’t stay dead. I’m not grieving. I’m just impatient.”

“Where is Hela?” She asked him when they parted, following Dean into the large building towards their rooms for the night.

“She told me she wasn’t going to help. She watched her dad burn alive from the inside out so I don’t really blame her. She’s really upset.”

“Are you certain this isn’t part of her vendetta against Tricksters?”

“Yes.” He confirmed, “I’m positive. If she really didn’t want him back, she wouldn’t have told us the location Loki gave her. Hela’s not an idiot and she doesn’t hate her father. She’s just angry at a situation that’s out of her control.”

“I really hope you’re right. Because the alternative isn’t good.” He was certain. But explaining that to Kali wasn’t going to work out. There were years of distrust and anger between them for it not to be that way. “I’ve known them far longer than you.”

“But you innately hated them from the moment they were born. The difference is that I trust them.”

“Trusting Loki’s children is never a safe approach.”

“That trust is all we have to work with, Kal. We need to trust them. Whether you like it or not.”

“Dude, there’s a _hot tub_ in here!” Dean was absolutely enthralled by the suites that Kali had rented for them when he poked his head out of the door and Sam rolled his eyes. “Why doesn’t Gabe ever do this for us?”

“Because you told him to take his blood money and shove it up his ass?” Despite the situation, he was amused at Dean’s excitement. It was a lot like after Gabriel had bought them the house. Dean was acting like a kid in a candy story and it was a nice change given how tense they’d been since Coyote died.

“I take it back. We need these rooms ninety percent of the time. Hundred percent of the time. This is where the people who save the world need to be.”

Smiling, Sam pushed into the room with Kali on his heels. “So, have you found their location, Kali? Pretty clear you’ve been here for a while.”

“I have a general idea, yes. There is immense warding on certain parts of this city. But one part I cannot access at all. If I were to guess, that’s where your Trickster is. I still don’t understand what you plan to do, Sam. This is reckless, even for you.”

“We’re going to go in and we’re going to tell Order to let go of Cagn. That’s what we’re going to do.” Dean spoke up, coming out of the bathroom.

“That sounds… not at all promising. You are telling me that is your entire plan. You are both going to die.”

“We’ve beat better odds.”

“You had better hands, boys. This isn’t a plan. This is… it’s certain doom.”

“Do you have a better plan?”

“Yes. _Don’t_ do it. This is suicide.”

“If Crow was right, Cagn should be strong enough with the souls that have returned to them to do whatever it was they were planning.”

Kali gave him one of the most concerned looks she’d ever mustered. Genuine worry. “This is _suicide_ , Sam. And if you’re right, neither of you need to be there for it. Whatever is going to happen, will happen. With or without you.”

“If there’s one thing I know about fighting off certain doom, it’s good to have backup.” Dean spoke up, “And Lo and Coya are just as much my brother as Gabe is. I’m not just going to leave them there if I can help.”

“And what about Gabriel? Do you know where he is? What he’s doing?”

“He’s in Purgatory. Which you very well know. We can’t go in to help save his ass. But we can come here to help the other two.”

“So, you can die here. I was sure that you had a real plan. This is- this is not a plan.” She looked between them both, turning her back on them. “So, here’s mine. Summon them.”

“What?”

“Summon Cagn. Before you just barrel in and get yourselves killed by one of the first beings, see if the shift brought on by all of those extra Trickster souls has given them the strength to answer a summoning. I cannot follow you into the warding, but I can help defend you here.”

Sam considered it. When Gabriel had first tried the summoning, he had watched every movement of it carefully. All of the materials, all of the sigilwork. Just so he could try it on his own later when the Three eventually gave into the idea that they were no longer One. Trying to summon Cagn wouldn’t harm anything. The worst it would do was fail and they would be back to where they began.

“Alright.”

“Sam, we need to hurry. Only God knows what’s happening to them.”

“Yeah, but she’s right. Going in like this is a risk. Gabe would kill us if we died doing this.”

“Damn it. Fine. What do we need for the spell?”

“Kali.” She huffed, touching his temple and drawing the memories quickly and efficiently. “Most of it is in a bowl at the house.”

“The infant blood will be tricky but I will return shortly.” She disappeared and Sam collapsed into one of the chairs.

“Infant blood?”

“Not a lot. We’ve done it before.”

“I don’t like this, Sam. You’re letting her change your mind. But you know I’m right. Our best bet is on us. Not on-”

“-an outsider?” Sam raised an eyebrow at his brother who snapped his mouth shut. “She’s just as tied up in this as I am. She’s family.”

“You want to screw her.”

“I want to date her.” Sam corrected with a scowl. Yeah, sex would be fun but it wasn’t the point of whatever it was that was going on between him and Kali. He liked _her_. “I get that you don’t understand my relationships. It’s weird, I know. But I want to get to know her. And screw it, right? It’s not new.”

“I can’t say I get it. I can’t. I guess I’ve always seen relationships as a two-person thing but… I get why you’re open to it. You’ve got the Three I guess. What harm’s a fourth? But just tell me you’re thinking clearly.”

“I _am_. I know you think I’m not because they’re gone but… well, I’ve never been good at letting death stick, I guess.”

“Seems to run in the family, huh?” Dean walked over to the mini fridge to pull out a couple of small bottles of liquor, tossing one in his direction. “Always hoped you’d get that white picket fence at the end of it all.”

“They want that too. They aren’t trying to ruin my future. Whatever future that might be. They aren’t monsters. We have the fence. It’s not just the normal apple pie, but we have it.”

“I didn’t say that. It’s just- well, we’ve lived our life one way, y’know? Monsters were monsters, humans were humans. And yeah, Gabe opened my eyes a lot in Purgatory. So did Cas. But it’s still weird.”

“Weird doesn’t begin to cover it.” Sam admitted. “But it works.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Dean laughed, shaking his head.

“Speaking of weird. How do you think Cas is doing with Crow?” Sam asked.

“Considering he ditched Heaven the second we let him know? Probably not great. They’re even weirder than you and the Three.”

“An angel and a Trickster.” Sam muttered, flipping the TV on. “I hope that we deal with this. I don’t wanna see Cas go through that kind of loss before it really gets to start.”

“Archangel, two Tricksters, and a Hunter. I think that beats the strangeness of angel and Trickster any day.” Sam looked up when Kali appeared in the room, placing the bowl of supplies in the center of the floor.

“What’s the weirdest relationship combo you’ve ever seen, Kali?” He asked her as he got to his feet, dragging the rug to the side.

Kali considered it for a moment, as she moved to the side. “Loki and Athena were interesting. The only time he willingly entered into a non-sexual relationship.”

“That’s because it was to cover up the fact that Athena and Persephone were having sex. They weren’t together.”

“Really? Zeus would tear them apart if they found out about that.”

“Coyote told me. I guess some secrets still exist in your world after all.”

“It would seem so.” Kali agreed. “Are you ready to try this?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

 **.-~*~-.  
**COYOTE ****  
*~-.-~*

Coyote’s head whipped up when she felt a change in the perimeter surrounding them. A ricochet across the entirety of their environment.

“Loki.” She said, eyes widening. “Loki’s here.”

“That’s six.” Anansi reminded her and she blinked, shaking her head. Right. Six. Six…

“Cagn!” She shouted, realizing that this had to be it. The final Mark. They had to have it. This _had_ to be it.

“She needs you.” Anansi pushed her forward and they began to trek down the pathway.

“Cagn. _Please_ , tell me I was right. Tell me this wasn’t a mistake.”

“Sun Wukong believed your theory enough to kill himself. It is a logical idea.” Anansi leaned into her side as they made their way towards the arrival zone, Loki’s voice echoing loudly around them.

“I died for your ass, Coyote! Where the hell are you!”

She froze in place when she caught sight of her other portion before she surrendered to temptation and booked it down the path, tackling Loki in a tight embrace. Burying her face in the other woman’s shoulder, she sobbed quietly.

“Damn you, Coyote. Why the _hell_ did you leave me like that?” Loki pulled her back, pressed their foreheads together. “He smothered me.”

“I didn’t have a choice.” She inhaled sharply when Loki dragged her into a kiss. It wasn’t impassioned and it wasn’t something she ever would’ve welcomed from her other portion on any other day. But this was death and she’d never realized how much she relied on Loki until she was gone.

“Stop.” She muttered, pulling away and resting her head on the other woman’s shoulder. “That’s… not going to be normal.”

“I know.” Loki said quietly, holding her close. “I just- _damn it_ , Coyote. You abandoned us without a word.”

Coyote pressed into her mind, drawing up memories and everything that had happened following her death. Catching up on the pleasant and less pleasant aspects and skipping over the sex. “He won’t let Michael out. Not with Dean at risk.”

“You were just in my head. In his. We were his filter. Doesn’t matter how much he sees Dean as his brother, Michael has been guilt tripping the hel out of him for months now.”

And they had let it happen. Let Gabriel endure that guilt trip on his own because they didn’t care enough about the angel side of things.

“Loki.” Anansi spoke from behind her and she cleared her throat, turning to meet his gaze. “I know. But it’s still interesting.” Anansi offered a hand and Loki took it, staring at Anansi like she was looking at a ghost.

Almost funny.

“What killed you, Loki?” Anansi asked her and she frowned, shifted awkwardly as she removed her hand from his.

“Why does it matter?”

Coyote caught on immediately. Loki was dead. But death was only part of their experience. She’d had to acknowledge her death and Anansi had made Sun Wukong do it as well.

“Coming to terms with the circumstances is vital to death. Cagn can’t properly take us as part of them until we understand what killed us.”

“Says who?”

“Says Cagn.” Anansi was as patient as ever but Coyote was getting anxious. The biggest problem with her death came from her ability to retain the memories from before it. Or lack of ability. All she knew was that if they didn’t help Cagn, they would all die.

Loki remembered Order. She vaguely recalled that name echoing through her brain like a foreboding whisper. But just another broken off piece that hadn’t remained when she died.

_No Gabriel left to help me understand what I saw._

“Fine.” Loki huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “I used a tracking spell.”

“That spell doesn’t work.”

Loki met her gaze, smiling grimly. “It didn’t work for you because you used your own powers to draw on The Summerland. I didn’t use mine. I used Hela and Freyja to draw on both of their afterlives. Only the afterlives of the Norse. I was able to track you through your lingering connection to the mark you left on Sam.”

“The spell killed you.”

Loki swallowed and nodded, “I burned alive from the inside out. All of that soul energy… it doesn’t belong in physical form. But I used it and it ate me alive. But not before I got a location. I told Hela. She knows where Cagn is now. Where we are.”

“But what does that do- you didn’t!”

“I did. If there is one thing I trust from Sam and Dean, it is their ability to beat the odds. Gabriel wouldn’t have remembered. He wouldn’t have cared. They wouldn’t have stopped until they saved us and you know it.”

“Make your _kids_ do it. Not humans. Not _them_. That was-”

“Selfish. I know. But don’t forget who you’re talking to. Who _I_ am. I’m sorry, Coya but I needed to make sure that someone knew. Whatever Order has planned, it doesn’t end with this. It doesn’t end with _us_. You’re the one that taught me to give a damn about humanity. Well, guess what? I do. And every single thing points at Order being the one that murdered all of those fertility Gods. To wipe out humanity because humans are _anything_ but balanced.”

“That doesn’t mean you drag Sam and Dean to their potential death.”

Loki didn’t let her anger get to her, rolling her eyes. “Those two can’t die. If they could, they’d be _long gone_. We wouldn’t be sitting here. I’m not worried about them dying to Order. I’m worried about what happens if Gabriel drags Michael out of the Cage.”

“Coyote, Loki.” They paused in their argument, looking at Anansi. “We need to finish this.”

“Why did you die?” Coyote asked Loki, shifting uncomfortably. Knowing the answer already.

“Because… if I didn’t die trying to find Coyote. I would have died to the Death Mark you had Phoenix bring back to us.” The words were nearly a whisper. Almost betrayal. “Cagn’s Death Marks.”

“I’m sorry.” They all spun around, bug eyed when they saw The Mantis standing before them, looking worse for wear. Tired and beaten down like they had been assaulted and tortured for months now.

 _Because they had_.

“I never should have done this to you. I _shouldn’t_ have. I should have been direct but I had no way of knowing if it would work.” Coyote moved forward first, pressing herself into Cagn’s space. Burying her face in their shoulder. Basking in their simple _presence_ for the moment.

“You did what you had to.”

“How did you do it? Cagn, _what_ happened?” Loki asked from somewhere behind her. Cautious in the presence of their creator.

“I felt it break from its prison. God locked it away when He locked away the Darkness. But I knew one day it would return and I never considered what it would do. Much less that it would attack me. But when I felt it free itself… I had to work fast. I had very little time. I didn’t know what would happen but I suspected so-“ Their demeanor shifted, eyes widening. “That is a summoning. I am… I can’t answer.”

“Loki.” She didn’t have to say what she wanted, the second Trickster wasting no time to join her side. Together, they enveloped Cagn. Pressing insistently at their essence, fueling their strength. A summoning. It had to be Sam and Dean. It _had_ to be.

Cagn inhaled sharply. The air around them warming, becoming hotter and hotter. Coyote could feel the strain on their souls, desperate yet careful. Cagn using them both. Reaching out and latching on.

_‘It has to be them.’_

_‘I know.’_

Loki and Coyote pressed into each other’s sides.

They both felt the shift when Cagn was able to move. Some sort of external conflict that neither of them could identify.

Everything exploded in white.

 **.-~*~-.  
**SAM ****  
*~-.-~*

The entire hotel shook violently and Sam only had a few seconds to regret _not_ leaving it to do the summoning before all the lights went out. Everything in the room exploded, glass shattering and flying across the area. Cuts and gashes lined his skin while he shielded his face from the bright white light in the center of the room.

“Time to move.” A familiar voice gasped out from the center of the room before the ground beneath him became a rough grass. “Not quite.” The voice laughed, a choked off pained noise escaping them and Sam pulled his arm off his eyes, a tall and slender body in a messy heap a few inches away.

“Crow!” Sam shouted, recognizing the landscape immediately as he ran to Cagn’s side.

“What the _hell_?” Dean joined his side and helped to roll Cagn over onto their back. The Trickster looked awful. Bloody gashes lining every inch of visible skin- which was a _lot._ Cagn naked as a baby.

_As sexless as Gabriel had always insisted._

“Move, Sam.” Kali was in his space, pushing him aside to put her hands against his side. “Castiel!”

Wings fluttered and Castiel appeared with a slightly less drained looking Crow kneeling beside him.

“Cagn.” Crow murmured, watching Castiel’s hands as he reached out and lay his hands over Kali’s. There was murmuring around them, soft and uncomfortable sounds from different people. A couple of soft animalistic sounds from a few others. Tricksters. Surrounded in Tricksters. “What has happened to you?”

“It won’t find us for the moment.” Cagn murmured, eyes rolling back in their head.

“Crow.” No longer Cagn’s voice. Unfamiliar. Accent thick and heady.

“Anansi. How-”

_Anansi._

“Cagn is gathering our souls into their core. I am merely the mask for the moment.”

“Is Coyote with you?” Sam asked, “Loki?”

“They are both here. They both miss you,” Cagn’s hand came up to curl around Castiel’s wrist. “I have to leave now.” Cagn blinked rapidly, eyes flicking between them all when they moved into a sitting position. The injuries that Kali and Castiel had failed to heal started to scar over, ragged and rough marks that looked uncomfortable but bearable. “Crow, I need everyone to gather in the garden.”

“I can’t-” He stopped as life seemed to return to him, feather tufts disappearing and returning to dark hair.

“You shouldn’t.”

“I need my living Tricksters prepared for when Order comes for me.”

“You said it couldn’t get here.” Dean accused Cagn, on edge. Crow rising swiftly to abandon them with a semi-relaxed Cas on his tail.

“I said for the moment.” Cagn corrected him with annoyance.

“What about the dead ones?” Sam asked, Cagn giving him the most apologetic look they could.

“Coyote and Loki carry some of the highest concentrations of my power.”

“What about when it’s done?”

“My Death Marks will be returned to life when everything is done. I promise, Samuel. I’m not God. I would never punish my children for something that I did.” Cagn squeezed his shoulder before turning and making his way towards the garden, pausing in their steps. “Kali, this is something you don’t need to involve yourself in. You can leave.”

“You’ve got my husband somewhere in there. I’m already involved.” Sam was genuinely surprised when she jumped to Loki’s defense. While he might have just crossed it off as an excuse that Cagn would buy, Sam wasn’t so sure.

Did she actually care about Loki?

Shaking the thoughts off, he rose to his feet to follow the Gods towards the garden that was significantly deader than it had been on his last visit. Coyotl was by the entrance, watching them approach with a small rabbit curled into his side.

“Huehuecoyotl. Nanabozho.” Cagn brushed their fingers across the animals as they passed by and Coyotl jumped up, changing forms immediately so that he was in his human form and hugging Sam tightly.

“I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” He returned the hug before releasing the other man, watching as Cagn stepped through the gathered Tricksters. Each touch livening the army as plants returned to life around them, the small group following The Trickster as they made their way through the pathway that would take them to an empty field.

The one he knew was Veles was perched at the end, large and awkward in the face of the others. A large dragonish creature, head more like a bear than what lore books would dictate a dragon.

“Veles.” Cagn greeted the beast, not touching him yet. “You killed her.”

The beast inclined its head. A reluctant confirmation.

“Who?” Dean asked Coyotl, Sam already realizing the answer.

“Coyote.” Coyotl answered quietly. “At her request.”

“What? She was killed by a _dragon_.”

“He was her weapon.” Crow corrected Dean. “Tricksters can’t kill Tricksters.”

“Not easily.” Someone else spoke from in front of him while Cagn discussed quietly with the dragon beast. “The concept of self-destruction doesn’t exist.”

“Sun Wukong did it.” Coyotl spoke quietly.

“Sun Wukong was a freak.” Someone else said.

“Better than most of us.” Coyotl countered when Cagn finally touched the dragon beast, the large body melding down back into a human form.

“Everyone.” Cagn’s voice cracked with the word, uncomfortable. Their gaze flicked across the Tricksters gathered while Kali tugged Sam and Dean off to the side. “I have never asked anything of you. I never have wanted to. But I need you.”

“You killed us. _Death Marked_ six of us.”

“I know what I did, Nanabozho. I betrayed your trust. All of you.” Cagn shifted, flinched subtly like something had hit them. “And now I have to ask you for help. All of you.”

“Where have you been, Cagn?”

“My counter contained me after they were freed. Order to my Chaos. Unlike it, I have been siphoning off my energy since the early days. I can’t overpower it on my own.”

Which was why they had been missing. Loki and Coyote had been right.

“How did you escape? Was it due to the deaths of the Tricksters?”

“Partially. The second part was due to the summoning that was performed. These Hunters saved me. Inadvertently rescued all of you from succumbing to your energy drains.”

“You told us to never allow outsiders here.”

“I did, Veles. Because bringing outsides always brought risk to exposure. Kali and Castiel being among us would never have been allowed in the past. But things have changed. I like to believe we have grown.”

“Tricksters never grow.” Kali murmured and Cagn smiled faintly.

“Maybe you’re right.” Cagn responded, smiling sadly. “But that is dependent of this. All of you. I need you behind me. Each and _every_ one of you because Order is coming for me. It believes I offset what the world should be. That it needs to fix the _damage_ we cause. I take responsibility for my part in what was done to it. I know that we were wrong. When God decided that our counters needed to be discarded so He could create, I let it happen. It was what it was. We are old. Very old. But unlike me, Order never learned to adapt. It senses chaos where we see calm. Which means that if we don’t resolve it, the damage already done will be irreparable.”

“You want us to gather together and resolve the disorder that Order mistakenly caused.”

“Exactly.”

“Well, I am never one to let a Goddess of Destruction prove me wrong.” The one Sam was certain was Kutkh spoke up. “I will help.”

“The biggest joke of all. Tricksters saving their very lives.” Someone else added. “We will help.”

“Sam, Dean.” Castiel pulled them away from the crowd. “There is a problem.”

“What?” Dean asked Castiel as the Tricksters continued talking in the background about how they’d defend themselves. It was obvious they weren’t going to kill Order. The plan was to return it to a prison.

“Gabriel. Gabriel is back. In Hell. Abigail says it’s urgent.”

“So is this.”

“She thinks that Gabriel has lost his mind. I believe he has forgotten being Loki and Coyote.”

“I’ll go.” Sam looked over his shoulder at Cagn. Trusting above anything else that The Trickster was telling the truth. That he would bring back Loki and Coyote when they won. “Dean-”

“I’m coming with you, man. If Gabe’s on the Archangel track, he’s going to be in brother mode.”

“Alright.” Sam nodded at Castiel who put hands on each of their shoulders. “I don’t know what condition he is in but there is something else. Raphael is with him.”

Of course he was. “Let’s go.”

Castiel inclined his head before disappearing in a flutter of wings.


	20. Gabriel, Coyoki and Sam and The Final Stand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel meets up with Abigail and demands to visit the Cage. They have a big conversation about the fate of Michael and the Devil. Later, Gabriel drags the boys to the house where he teaches them both something about themselves. Coyote and Loki are not pleased to see him and they unite to stand against Order.

**.-~*~-.**  
GABRIEL  
***~-.-~***

Gabriel drew his Archangel blade, the cambion not in the least bit bothered by the clear threat that he was. A large pack of hellhounds appeared at her heels, the acting Queen crossing her arms over her chest with a raised brow.

“We’ve talked about this before, Gabe.”

“We did. You are going to let me _through._ ”

“Unless I feel you are a threat to the containment. That was _your_ request. Not mine. I’m not suicidal which is why I’m asking you, Raphael. If you love and respect your brother, tell him he’s lost his damned mind and _get him away_ _from here._ ”

“I don’t take orders from demonspawn.” Raphael huffed bitterly, “But, Gabriel. Balthazar was right. Something is wrong with you. Something _changed_.”

“Look, boys. If you’re going to fight about-”

“Let me take it.” Abigail flicked her wrist, The Devil shutting up in response to the action. “I’ll return it to The Cage. I gathered a group of witches that can and _will_ patch the damage.”

“You are hiding something.”

“Oh, I’m hidin’ a _lot_. I run Hell, you idiot! But The Cage isn’t part of those secrets. I’ve sworn to be open about The Cage and I _have_. Screw you for thinkin’ I haven’t!” Gabriel flared his wings, ready to draw on his blade when the sound of wings broke between them. “Oh, thank _God_. Talk some sense into your boyfriend!” Gabriel turned, eyes flicking between his brothers and his Hunter.

“Sam. Dean.”

“You found him. What’s he still doing here?” Dean asked when he caught sight of the Devil, Gabriel relaxing slightly. Dean would understand. He would take his side.

“This is the second time in the last few weeks he’s _barged in_ demanding to let him access The Cage. But he didn’t threaten to kill me before. I think I deserve a damned explanation!”

“Loki.” His gaze flicked to Sam and he frowned.

“What?”

“You don’t remember Loki. How about Coyote?”

Gabriel’s mouth curled down. Coyote was familiar. Why…

They were trying to help her. A Pagan. But _why_? He shut his eyes, cycling through his memories. Piecing together the little that he could. They’d established this. He didn’t really _understand_ it but he believed him.

“Part of me.” Like the Devil. He had a second part… and she was dead. “Did you find her?”

“We know where she is. You don’t remember, do you?”

“No.” Sam was talking to him like he was a threat. Like he was a dangerous and destructive force. Like he didn’t _trust_ him. It felt like a betrayal. It hurt.

“Let her take the Devil.”

“Why? What do you think I’ll do, Sam?”

“Michael.” Dean spoke up and Gabriel flicked his gaze to his surrogate brother. “You’ll save your brother. Because he’s in The Cage with your POS brother and that’s how you think. You want to save him. But, Gabe… if you do this, you said it yourself. I’m not strong enough to say no.”

“He won’t have his Grace.” That was the point. If he got him out, he would be _human_. But safe. Free from the torment of Lucifer.

“That’s bull and you know it.” Sam spoke up, tone nearly desperate. “Gabe, _please_.”

Raphael moved next to him, catching him around his arms before he could defend himself. He fought, flinging himself back as Raphael’s grip on his arms tightened. The both of them tumbling back into a heap as something metallic closed around his ankle and-

“What the hell!”

“Oh, bite me, Winchester. I’m not an idiot. I’ve got my fingers in places you don’t even wanna imagine and I’m not taking risks with a rogue Arch!”

Gabriel stared down at his ankles where two handcuffs had been strapped around them. “Where did you get those?” Raphael was asking, Sam grabbing his hand when he moved to try to break them off.

“Gabe, wait.”

“Sam, you don’t want to do this right now.”

“Abigail, go put the Devil back in The Cage.” Castiel spoke up, “Seal it in whatever way you can.”

“ _Don’t._ ”

“Michael is a liability, Gabriel. We discussed this in Purgatory. He is volatile and unpredictable.” Raphael hooked him under his arm and pulled him to his feet. “Where is Chaos?”

“I can’t take you to them.” Castiel answered, a flash of the image of their house crossing his vision before Raphael flew.

Gabriel stared at the Goddess reclined on the couch while Raphael shoved him into a recliner. Kali.

“So, is it bad?”

“It is not pleasant Sam.” Kali pulled the reluctant Hunter down beside her to rest her head in his lap, Gabriel glaring venomously at the woman.

“Let me go.”

“Swear you won’t try to release Michael.” Sam countered and he held his tongue. Wouldn’t lie to Sam.

“Castiel.” Raphael greeted the younger angel finally. The moment was uncomfortable and Gabriel looked up. The two were standing a few feet from each other. In the entryway. Gabriel shifted in his seat, prepared to defend either of them if they decided to fight. Even with his ankles cuffed. “You were right.”

“I made mistakes as well. I never should have killed you.”

“So, you’re on our side now?” Dean asked doubtfully, Raphael turning his attention to the Hunter.

“I am on Gabriel’s side.”

“That’s really at question here,” Gabriel rattled his cuffed ankles at his brother in protest and Raphael cast him the most apologetic look he could muster.

“You are not in your right mind, little brother.”

“I’m absolutely in my right mind and you know damn well you don’t want Michael in there anymore than I do!”

“I know to look at all sides!” Raphael snapped back, “And I know what Michael can be like. I was with him for _years_. Standing by his side. Helping him when he made the difficult decisions. After years in Hell with Lucifer one can only imagine the state of his mind. I want to help him, but not here. Not right now. Not when Order is risking our brothers’ and sisters’ lives.”

“You sure were ready to kill your brothers and sisters when you were at war with Cas.” Dean muttered bitterly.

“We were at war.” Cas reminded their surrogate brother quietly, brushing his wings against Raphael’s hesitantly. A surprisingly familiar gesture that neither Hunter could see. “And this isn’t about us. This is about Gabriel’s childish behavior.”

“I’m not acting like a child.”

“Yes, you are.” Sam spoke up. “Please, Gabe. We’ll talk about Michael. But we have to think it through. This can’t be a rash decision.”

Gabriel stared at his Hunter, swallowed and crossed his arms over his chest. “We can’t risk fighting him. He can’t be saved if he’s something you end up having to fight. You know that I’m right.”

It was reasonable. They could save Michael. Later. When everything else was settled. “Okay.” He agreed, nodding his head. “We’ll wait.”

“Just like that?” Dean asked doubtfully and Gabriel glared at his surrogate brother.

“I am not you. I _do_ know how to see reason.”

“The cuffs on your ankle would say otherwise.” Dean countered, a smile curling on his mouth. Sighing dramatically, Gabriel slumped back on the chair.

“Can you get these damned things off?”

“Yes.” Raphael abandoned Castiel’s side, crossing the room and kneeling down. It took a bit of finagling before the metal popped and clattered onto the carpet. Grace flooded through his system, igniting his being and he shut his eyes as his wings cast great shadows across the wall.

“Damn. He ever show you them?”

“No.” Sam admitted and Gabriel grimaced at the slight tone of betrayal. Like he’d kept some dark secret from the younger brother.

“They don’t show up on the material plane. I can’t manifest them here.” _I don’t like to show them to anyone. Didn’t really have a choice with Dean._ He cast a glance over his shoulder to focus into the ethereal plane. Even after Raakeel had healed the damage, there was still a distinct mangling to the form of the wing. It would never heal because the nephilim had chosen a quick and dirty healing over a careful and precise one. Even Raphael couldn’t fix the damage. None of the scars lining his True Form ever would measure to the burned flesh brought on by a single phoenix fireball hitting one place.

“You’ve said that before.” Sam said, sounding disappointed. Like he’d been hopeful it wasn’t true. Go figure.

“Sorry, Sam.” He was sincere and the look on Sam’s face told him he believed it. “I think I know how to get into Cagn’s home. That’s where Order will be attacking, right?”

“That’s where they are making their stand.” Kali confirmed, pushing up off the couch. “Are we going to do this?”

“You shouldn’t.”

“Thank you for pretending you actually care, Gabriel but Cagn has asked that I help them. Unlike everyone else here, I’m the only one that’s ever been to The Empty and returned.”

Well, they couldn’t argue that logic. Unfortunately.

“Sam, Dean, come here.” He puffed his wings out behind him, knowing full well that neither brother was going to be willing to stay out of this fight. Even if it was against something older than time.

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want you dumbasses to die the second you drag yourselves into the battlefield.”

“You really shouldn’t do this, Gabriel.” But Raphael didn’t make a move to try to stop him. Instead he simply watched as Sam carefully moved to his feet, Dean trailing up to him cautiously. Like he was going to smite them or something equally as ridiculous.

When he touched Sam, it was simple. It wasn’t unfamiliar grounds for the younger brother. It was simply unlocking closed off potential. Adjusting the taint on his soul to respond to grace rather than demonic essence. The corruption of hell. Sam’s eyes flashed, mirroring his own white light and he staggered back, gasping sharp and deep like someone had punched him in the gut.

“Gabe-”

“It’s not an addictive and we’ll resolve it when it’s done.”

“-I can see your wings.” Sam finished and he felt his face redden, wings tucking self-consciously against his back.

“What did you do?” Dean asked, glaring at him like things hadn’t changed between them in Purgatory. Like Gabriel was just another monster.

“I awakened his psychic abilities. They don’t rely on demon blood now because they’re being fueled by Grace.” His attention stayed on Sam who was analyzing his wings to the best of his ability. It was exposing and disorienting in a way he couldn’t explain. “I may have done too much.”

“I don’t have psychic abilities, though.” Dean was looking at Sam. Tone cautious and wary. Sam shook his head, finally meeting his gaze again before turning and returning to the couch.

“Not like Sam’s. But they’re there. The thing about the Cain and Abel bloodlines is that none of them are every fully human. Whole bloodline is tainted by divinity.”

“Blessed.” Raphael corrected and he rolled his eyes.

“Whatever. The point is, there’s a reason you’re a bit more durable than average humans. Why you can stick the two most powerful Archangels in existence under your skin. You’re stronger than a normal human because you aren’t a normal human. There’re some other perks of course. But you never woke them up. Didn’t need to, or you dad stunted them when you were a kid because he was that kind of Hunter.”

“What about the demon blood?”

“Lucifer talking crap.” Sam answered, reaching out to the table in front of him.

“Lucifer needed Sam complacent. Demon blood was a major aspect of Sam’s darker impulses. The more he consumed, the worse he felt about himself. The worse he felt, the more control Lucifer had over him. Michael might’ve sent Zachariah out as an attack dog, but he never considered ways to make you complacent. If he had, he would’ve dragged you out of the hunting life early on. Killed your dad. The best way to weaken your resolve is to make you comfortable.”

Dean glared at him, not at all amused. “Remind me why I should believe you?”

“Believe me, or don’t. That’s the great part about our relationship. Do you want to actually stand a chance against Order or do you want us to leave you here? Because I don’t care either way.”

Dean bristled but stepped forward, let Gabriel grip his wrists.

“I need you to trust me, Dean.”

“I do trust you.”

“No, you don’t. You think I’m going to ruin things for you again and break your brother’s heart. Trust that I haven’t lied to your brother since we became a couple. Believe me when I say that we will resolve Michael after Order has been handled.”

Dean held his gaze, defiance slowly melting away enough to allow him to reach deep within the Hunter. His eyes closed as he prodded around. Seeking out something that was all but absent.

Buried and stifled under a lifetime of suppression and fear. Hidden in the recesses of youth and childhood dreams.

The image of John Winchester shouting at his older son. A crying six-year-old with the body of a small bird in his hands, twisted and broken in a way that nothing short of a psychic burst could ever do.

 _I don’t remember that._ Dean’s voice came from within his mind and Gabriel grimaced, dragging on that connection. _Dad knew._

 _‘Your father feared the supernatural. If only he knew he was just as much a part of it as his children.’_ The connection was wrapped in walls and shields that Gabriel worked carefully to dispel, two different prevention spells marking the small area of Dean Winchester’s soul that could have grown to be something amazing.

They didn’t have enough time for them to unlock his full potential, but he had time to brush Dean’s mind with the information needed to use base level psychic powers. Telekinesis, minor telepathy. Both of which seemed to match the markings of the powers he could see in the older brother’s soul. Untapped potential they could only guess. Carefully he retreated, releasing Dean and meeting his gaze. A silent request not to tell Sam.

“Alright, boys. You get the basics, Dean?”

“I think so…” He shifted, watching as Sam elevated an older book off the top of the table. Looking smug. Proud. Everyone was quiet, watching in minor amusement as Dean struggled to settle his mind. Then the book went flying, slamming straight into Gabriel’s chest.

“I think I earned this.” He admitted, groaning and rubbing at where the hard weight had struck him.

“You really have.” Sam agreed, getting to his feet. “Why’d he get a lesson on how to use his powers?”

“Because your powers scare the crap out of me and you already know how to use them.” Gabriel winked, crossing the space and kissing the top of Sam’s head. Sending a flash of knowledge through him to help with some of the more obscure abilities he likely had never used.

“We need to go.” Kali told him and he nodded, raising his fingers to snap.

 **.-~*~-.**  
COYOKI  
***~-.-~***

Being a part of Cagn was a strange experience. They were no longer in the afterlife landscape but melded into a central point. The core of Cagn. They were _one_. They _were_ The Trickster. Each and every one of them flowed to and through each other, drawing back and forward as they held off Order’s first assault. The Trickster army carefully working together to prepare for the onslaught. Melding into singular bodies that could strike harder when they inevitably fell into battle.

Because that was what was going to happen.

There wasn’t a lot of faith in their ability to win, Loki and Coyote knew that. They could feel Cagn’s doubts. The wariness. Order had buried them for months. Worked their way into the very core of everything that made Chaos _chaos_. Used their penance for disorder to create its own order.

All the while, they had fought with all of their power. Unable to even reach in and touch the souls that resided within. Every soul of the dead had been alone and they hadn’t been able to help.

_They have returned._

Cagn turned away from the wall, watching as two Archangels appeared with the Winchesters and Kali.

Gabriel and Raphael.

Coyote and Loki both flinched at the way he looked. Wing still visibly damaged from the phoenix’s attack.

“They’ve changed.” Cagn acknowledged, nodding towards the Winchesters. It had been a second glance when they noticed it and it had taken even longer for Loki and Coyote to actually process what they were seeing. A psychic aura. Someone had awakened powers within both of them.

“No, I just enhanced something already there. They want to stand with us but they’re no good if they die the second Order shows up.”

“Very hardhearted of you, Gabriel. Where is your love for your Hunter?” Neither Loki or Coyote would’ve ever brought the brothers. They were a liability because they gave a damn. Two of the five people they would die for.

 _Three._ Loki corrected their thought chain when they spotted Kali.

“I would’ve summoned his ass back before letting him come here without me.” Cagn smiled at Dean’s comment, a movement that echoed across a large handful of the souls pressed into the central of the deity.

Which was definitely true, as much as Loki and Coyote were reluctant to accept the outcome, they both were well aware that Gabriel’s mental state wasn’t anywhere near what it was when they were alive. Anansi pressed against them in a reassuring way without speaking a word. A silent apology. Something that Coyote was painstakingly familiar with but was far too intimate for Loki to feel completely okay with.

“You’ll need to add a filter to their minds. Order doesn’t take on a human visage.”

Gabriel reached over and touched both of the brothers on the side of the head while Raphael approached them slowly, spear in hand as he knelt, bowing his head. “It has been a very long time.”

“I’m not your Father, Raphael.” Cagn reached out to help a semi-reluctant Raphael to his feet.

“Is He still alive?”

“Would it make you feel better if I told you that He was?” _He is._ That knowledge couldn’t be hidden from them. Or maybe they didn’t want to hide it from them. God was still present. Somewhere. Alive.

“Yes.”

“God lives. But He doesn’t help. He doesn’t interfere. Certain Primordials can’t die without catastrophe unfolding. If God was to die, you would know.” Raphael nodded, turning in the same moment that Cagn recoiled, fumbling forward as Order slammed into their shielding again. One hit. One more. Swallowing, he whistled. Everyone turned their attention on them, a hundred eyes patient. Waiting.

“When we attack. It can’t be to kill. We have to weaken Order but we absolutely _cannot_ kill it. If Order dies, so do we.”

“What?” Dean asked, completely thrown by that piece of information being dropped on him. Loki wondered if Gabriel had bothered explaining anything to him.

“That means strike to _wound_. Not to kill.”

“How are you going to imprison it again?” Gabriel asked, Raphael flexing his wings as he shifted his hold on his spear.

“Carefully.” _Another planet a hundred million miles from Earth. Somewhere no one would consider looking because people were far too self-centered to consider the rest of the galaxy._

“How did God do it?”

“God did it before you took on the Darkness. It was easy for them. But He told me to go to Hell about this so I’m taking the brunt of Order’s assault on my own. You coming here… it may be the odds that save us.”

“Order is the only reason I came back.” Raphael sighed, shaking his head as he moved towards the border.

 _Pain_. All of the Tricksters chorused their recognition, Cagn shaking it off as they turned to push back when Order pushed forward.

“Be prepared! It’s coming!”

Loki and Coyote pushed forward alongside the other Trickster souls when everything erupted.

 **.-~*~-.**  
SAM ****  
*~-.-~*

Sam stumbled back when the glimmering barrier seemed to shatter around them, the ground beneath their feet melting away into a rough brown shade while the sky darkened above them.

Order was nothing. Or everything. Gabriel’s wings were a heavy weight that sent both him and Dean falling flat on their faces when something else descended down on them. For a moment, he couldn’t breathe. All of the oxygen ripped from him then he was free and stumbling to his feet on reflex, running forward as Cagn seemed to grow in size, six feet, eight feet, ten feet. Their arms spread wide to their side and they _clapped_. The sound echoed loudly across the landscape like one of the loudest cracks of thunder he had ever heard. The shadow form recoiled from it, shaping downwards into something…

Well it had form. No limbs, nothing indicating human. An almost body but not quite. It stood taller than Cagn did.

“Watch yourselves!” As Cagn threw themself forward, colliding with the creature that could only be Order it seemed to shed itself. Several hundred little globules of dark matter crumbling away from Order as it and Cagn went flying upwards into the sky, merging and melding until he couldn’t separate the two.

The almost creatures were uninterested in Sam and Dean when they assaulted the Tricksters, Gabriel and Raphael taking flight to chase after Cagn and Order.

Sam shook his head, taking the angel blade that Gabriel had made sure he had before charging into the fray.

It was like shooting a gun. It didn’t take a lot of thinking for him to reach outwards and grab onto the core of the strange beings that Order had dropped down on them. It wasn’t like demons. He couldn’t just fry them. They weren’t _dying_ under his assault. But they were recoiling. Screaming an unearthly shriek that made his ears ring. Vision blurring. Nanabozho cut in front of him, tackling one of the creatures with her whole body, head diving forward to tear at the space that might’ve been its throat. Sam followed the motion with his own blade, diving forward and cutting into the creature.

It was like stabbing a ghost with a knife. Almost. Attacking a super thick oil. Awkward, not meant to be touched. But still solid enough that he could hold it down. Blade driving through the same place Nanabozho attacked, just barely missing her face. The sound when it screamed again was enough to leave him deaf. Everything a dull thrumming around them. No longer could he hear the shouts of the creatures, the sounds of war. He caught sight of his brother when the creature went slack beneath him. Fascinated by the sight of Dean of all people knocking two of the creatures into each other with nothing more than his mind. Sending them flying to the sides. He was _playing_ with them which really shouldn’t have been super shocking given who taught him to use his powers.

 _Dean has powers_.

He shook it off while he looked upwards into the sky. Raphael was visible in the mess. A spec on the sky in the midst of something that he could barely put into words. Shape, energy. Sam was reminded of lore reading. Of the Titans and the Gods. Ancient and powerful beings fighting for supremacy in the dawn of time. The earliest days of the human race. Except Order never tried to appear human. Order was substance, being beat downwards by a strained Cagn. Raphael and a flash of Gabriel mixed into it all.

Sam could see more. Further back as Cagn began to become less and less humanoid.

When it moved downwards, it began to overwhelm Order.

Someone caught him by the back of his shirt, yanked him backwards just as another of the creatures struck for his throat, sharp fang like talons appearing in a gaping maw that reminded him drastically of the leviathans. He didn’t think, hardly registered the action as he fired into it with his powers, ripped it apart from the inside.

He imagined it screaming as it shredded apart, flew upwards and back towards what could only be Order. He hoped that it wasn’t harming the Primordial battle while he returned to the fray. Reaching inside of the creatures, driving blades through them.

The ground shook beneath their feet when the two Primordial beings crashed downwards, absorbing everything in their path.

Sam had a funny moment where he thought he saw Gabriel’s face in the midst of it all before everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Giving both Sam _and_ Dean powers isn't something I'm unaccustomed to. Here, there was no way I could kick them out of the big fight like I did in TIPO without a lot of questions which meant I needed to rationalize them going into battle with the others. Not unreasonable in my mind that they would do this and not illogical in this context that Sam would drag Gabe back without a second thought, Gabe letting Sam and Dean join the fight being a logical battle strategy.
> 
> Coyoki was weird. I didn't want to do it from just one of their eyes which gave me an opportunity to show both of them functioning at a similar level. But more importantly, all of the Tricksters mirroring together in one place.


	21. Gabriel and The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel deals with the fallout of the battle with Cagn.

 

 **.-~*~-.  
**GABRIEL  
***~-.-~***

The weird thing about death, Gabriel decided, was the lack of finality. Being dead never really meant anything, after all. Not for them. As he looked around, lying awake on the ground of the eternal afterlife of the angels…

He found himself bored.

Castiel wasn’t there.

Raphael had told him that they needed to wait. Buy themselves time to recover before making the journey to Earth. Wait. Wait longer.

Gabriel’s skin crawled at the premise of waiting for any amount of time. Of having to sit there and wait for something to happen. There were things he needed to do. Places to go. Sighing, he rolled over, looking at his damaged feathers and grimacing at their state. They could be worse. Definitely. But they weren’t recovered. It was funny how that worked.

How being absorbed by warring Primordial beings could affect you.

“Raphael?” He asked, meeting his brother’s gaze when the other Archangel dropped down next to him. Wings folded nearly against his back. Eyes closed.

“No one else wants to make the journey.”

“I didn’t realize we were asking.”

“The journey is easier with three.” Raphael admitted and he pressed his lips together. Three. Why not two? What was wrong with two?

Or one?

“Is that why we’re still here?”

“No.” Raphael admitted, carefully folding his own wing up so that Gabriel could see the missing patches of flight feathers. Right.

“Bet you miss the nephilim abominations now.” He prodded his brother teasingly, poking his brother in the side before shutting his eyes to block out the light.

It was time to wait.

The wait lasted maybe two days before Gabriel declared he was going to lose his mind. Being dead was awful and he was reminded why he’d chosen to come back rather than suffer through this. It was morning in Purgatory when they cut through the barriers between the afterlives. A careful and methodical motion as they checked the air above them. The landscape indicated that they’d been fortunate. That they were in the outer edge.

 _Good_. He pushed himself to his feet, gaze scanning the trees for anything out of place. Any creature prepared to attack.

They were lucky. It was quiet. Once he was sure it was safe, he reached down, pulling Raphael up and out of the hole in the ground. His brother’s wing was still less than prepared for flight but it was enough for them to just get out of there. Free. They could _move_. Do something. Anything.

“Are you okay?”

“This is a bad idea.” Raphael reiterated for the hundredth time, stretching out and shaking his head.

“I’m aware.”

“Gabriel, Raphael.” Everything seemed to stop for a moment, confusion and anger manifesting itself before Gabriel was flinging himself around towards the newcomer, Raphael’s hands in his wings the only thing keeping him from stabbing _Him_ in the heart.

God.

 _Abandoner_.

“Leave!”

“I recognize that you’re angry with me but you should pay mind to be respectful of me.” God told him, eyes narrowing into slits.

“Chuck Shurley.” Raphael spoke, pressing up next to him, grip moving to his arm to keep him from launching himself forward. His brother was trembling, barely keeping it together.

A prophet? _That bastard_.

“You hid as the prophet.”

God shrugged casually, like there was nothing at all wrong with the idea. Like him being the prophet was fine and dandy. Like he hadn’t just _abandoned_ them.

“Oh, don’t you give me that accusatory look, Gabriel. You were just like me. You went and hid.”

“And I _died_ for them. Because humanity-”

“-is better than us. Yadda yadda. I know the story, Gabriel. I _wrote_ that story.”

“You’re a crap writer, y’know?” Gabriel bared his teeth, flared his wings. “Why didn’t you _help_ them? Chaos needed your help because another one of your screwups let something out that was hell-bent on ‘balancing the world’ whatever the crap that means!”

Chuck was smiling. Not amused. But like he had a secret. Some inside joke that Gabriel wasn’t quite getting.

“What?”

“I did help. Did you not wonder how you and Raphael escaped Purgatory with the Devil without any sort of major conflict? Not a single attack between the leviathan fortress and the exit. A straight escape when everything else had gone horribly wrong. Who do you think put the nephilim on your paths when you were going the wrong direction? I’ve told Chaos before. I don’t directly interfere. But I tweak things. I like this world. I like the people in it. I would never have let Order win.”

“Maybe not, but you sure as hell let it destroy a lot. Where is Coyote? Loki?”

“Here.” God gestured to his right, a door appearing. Bright red. The numbers _42_ painted on the front of it. “Your answers are on the other side.”

“I don’t want your help.”

“You can fight your way to the exit, Gabriel. But it won’t bring you back. It takes the living to return the dead from Purgatory.”

“ _I don’t care_.” Gabriel flared his wings. “You abandoned all of us.”

“Fine.” Sighing dramatically, Chuck flicked his wrist and the door flung open. The other side was his house. Krypto laying at the front door, whining softly. Alone. Mournful. Grieving.

“Where are they?”

“Heaven.” Gabriel’s stomach sank. “Loki and Coyote are still with Cagn.”

“If I come back… I’ll forget them. I’ll do something stupid.”

“If you come back here and now, I will make sure you don’t. This is a one-time offer, Gabriel. I recommend that you be wise and _take it_.”

“Why are you doing this? Why do you give a damn?”

“Because I’ve failed you time and time again. Chaos enlightened me. I’m not going to come back but… I will be more involved.” It was obvious that God didn’t believe Himself for a second. This was him trying and failing to make up for years of failure. But it was an empty gesture because it wasn’t genuine. If it wasn’t for the problem, if it wasn’t for the specifics… he never would have accepted it.

Unfortunately, he was desperate. And losing his memories of Coyote and Loki wasn’t really an option. Not if Chuck was telling the truth and the two other parts of him were still dead. Not with where his head had been when he was alive without the other two. He needed those memories to be a normal person. To _give a damn_.

“This doesn’t even us out.”

“I know.” Chuck responded and Gabriel glared at him before stepping through the portal. The transition from death to life was basically nonexistent. He was dead. Then alive. Living, breathing. A familiar body manifesting around his form. His Grace sparked as Krypto tackled him, licking his face lovingly all the while whimpering and whining. Heartbroken.

“It’s okay, boy.” Gabriel promised, kissing his dog’s face. “It’s alright.” He muttered. “We’ll get them back. No one stays dead on our watch.”

Krypto whined softly, images of Sam, Dean, both Loki and Coyote flashing through his mind.

“I know.” Gabriel scratched his ears, pushed himself into a sitting position. “Raphael,” Gabriel didn’t need to look up to know the other Archangel was in the body he preferred. The same female body he had worn before his death. “Resurrections are banned.”

“Archangels don’t have to follow the rules of Heaven.”

“I promised them.” Gabriel muttered, staring at Krypto’s sad eyes. “I swore I wouldn’t break their rules.” Gabriel shut his eyes, reached out. Poked and prodded across Angel Radio trying to find Castiel.

Nothing.

Where was his little brother?

“Then how about you visit and make a choice based off of that?” Raphael prompted him and he shifted, nodded and spread his wings to the side.

“Raph… I need you to track down the Tricksters. Find out where Cagn is. See if you can hear anything about Castiel.”

“Of course.” Gabriel held Krypto against his chest before flying himself into Heaven where he was greeted with angel blades.

“Really? I have a dog.” The angels didn’t say anything and he rolled his eyes, setting Krypto down in front of him and murmuring in his ear. “Go find them.”

Krypto licked his face before darting through the small hoard of angels that had been sent to his location.

“Ugh- someone get that thing!” One of his sisters shouted, only one of the angels willing to turn and rush after the dog as he ducked through one of the doors to someone’s Heaven.

“I’m here to see my fiancé. Heard that’s sacred up here.”

“Hannah wished to speak with you.” Brashiel told him, raising her blade to his chin. “Now.”

“Fine,” He spread his hands to the side, glaring at her. “ _Fine_. I’m amiable, see?” There was a moment where he checked himself internally. Just to be sure he was in fact alone. That he wasn’t smothering Loki and Coyote.

He was alone.

He followed the angels through the corridors until he was in the council chamber where Hannah was with two unfamiliar angels.

“I thought there weren’t any leaders.” He raised an eyebrow, Hannah waving the escorting angels out.

“You were right. All of Heaven leading itself really wasn’t an option. We have recently agreed to vote on a leader. If the dislike is strong enough, a new name is chosen.”

“Great. So, you got your seat on the throne.”

“It isn’t like that. Dumah and Barachiel share seats with me.”

“I just realized… Guess what? I don’t _care_. I want to visit my fiancé.”

“We don’t allow resurrections anymore. You gave us our reign. Our control.”

“I _did_. Thing is, they died _saving the damned planet_. They don’t deserve this and you _know it_.”

“Perhaps you’re right. But have you considered that they have _earned_ it? That it isn’t something _done_ to them but _given_ to them.”

“They haven’t gotten to _live_ yet, Hannah. What’s the point of being an Archangel if I can’t bring them back? Dean’s my _brother_. I can’t leave them here. Not when I can save them.”

“Your ability to bring them back is up for debate, Gabriel. We control the influx and outflow of souls. Resurrection isn’t your decision anymore. It’s ours.”

Gabriel swallowed, unfurling his wings behind them and holding her gaze. “Please. _Please_ , Hannah.”

She stepped back, the three looking between each other. Communicating privately. Considering. “Humans.” She finally said, looking up at him. “If the fertility crisis isn’t resolved, they will die out. If you give us a list of Pagan Gods and Goddesses that need to return to Earth to save the humans. We will allow you to visit the Winchesters… and if something happens while you are there, it is not our business.”

A blind eye.

“I can’t get it until I talk to Thor. But I will. This isn’t a question.”

“Then go visit your brother and fiancé.” Hannah nodded towards the door and Gabriel relaxed, slipping out the door and following the trail of dog driven destruction to the only vaguely familiar Heaven of a man named Ash. The Roadhouse, also known to most angels as The Hunters Outpost.

Krypto had torn the place apart and a somewhat familiar woman was shouting about getting “that damned thing out of here!”

Sam and Dean were cracking up in a booth while a blonde woman knelt down next to them, whistling sharply.

Krypto's ears perked and he bolted across the room into the younger girl’s arms.

“Sam.” His Hunter looked up, eyes widening when he spotted him.

“Gabe.” He waited for the other man to come to him, stepping just inside the door to close it. “How much- which are you?”

“Just me.” He unfurled his wings hesitantly. “But I remember. I remember everything. I was a reckless dick when I was on my own and-”

Sam cut him off, pressing him back against the wall when he kissed him. Deeper than he’d expected. An almost desperate assault that he wasn’t quite equipped to deal with.

 _Loki, where are you when I need you?_ Sam laughed a bit, resting his head on his shoulder when he finally released him.

“How long have you been up here?” He asked, carding his fingers through the Hunter’s hair and sighing deeply. Content with the contact for the moment.

“About two weeks.” Sam admitted and Gabriel nodded. Unsurprised. Grateful that the house and Krypto’s care was self-sustaining. Heaven and Earth ran hand and hand. Time zones aligned nearly identically.

“Sam?” The Hunter released him and he grinned at Dean, stepping forward and pulling his brother into a tight hug before releasing him. “What happened out there?”

“Chaos.” Gabriel answered evasively, pressing his lips together. “Let’s drink. I’ll explain.”

“Are you getting us out of here?” Dean asked him and Gabriel opened then shut his mouth.

_Careful._

“Do you want to come back?”

“What kinda question is that?”

“Of course we do.” Sam told him, rolling his eyes. “You think we’re done just ‘cause we died? Do you want to bring us back?”

“What kind of question is that? Of course I do.”

“Can you, though?” Dean asked and he smiled a bit.

“Of course I can. Heavenly rules don’t mean a lot to me.”

“I thought you were respecting their rules.” Sam acknowledged, raising a brow.

“Hey, if the heavenly rulers decide to turn a blind eye, who am I to complain?” Gabriel smiled, looked past the brothers towards where the younger woman was playing with Krypto.

“Who is that?”

“Jo Harvelle.” Sam answered and he nodded, remembered them mentioning her in passing.

“I’m here and bending the rules. Anyone here that wants to come back, I need to know.”

“Wait- really?” Jo asked, approaching with Krypto at her side.

“World’s changed and you’ve been dead what… since two thousand nine? Ten? Eight or so years have passed. For a human, it’ll be a weird change but we have the resources to start you up.”

“Why? You don’t even know me.”

Gabriel’s mouth curled into a grimace, gaze flicking between Sam and Dean then the older woman. Ellen if he were to guess right. “Because there were a lot of casualties during the Apocalypse. I can’t bring everyone back, but I can right a few wrongs. So, it’s up to you. Heaven’s not bad, but life’s so much livelier.”

 _Thank you._ He nodded slightly in Sam’s direction, the older woman looking significantly less interested than her daughter at the prospect.

“This is a one-time thing, though. I’ve got to get back to Earth and find the rest of me. Hannah and the others are turning a blind eye but this is the only chance you’ll have. So, if you want to retry living, now’s your chance.”

“Can we have a minute?” Jo asked and he nodded, watching the two women disappear around the corner into an apparent poolroom.

“This is an Ash’s heaven. Where is he?”

“Not here.” Sam laughed, shaking his head. “He’s with Pamela. Rocking out at another Bon Jovi concert.”

“I’d heard about this heaven. Never really cared enough to look. I know the younger angels hate it, though.”

“That’s because it’s really well hidden.” A male voice pierced the room and Gabriel looked up, acknowledging the world’s most unlikely nerd. Mullet and all. “Who’s the angel?”

“Gabriel.” He introduced himself, inclining his head towards the man. Without any doubt in the world, it was Ash.

“How’d you find your way in here? That angel… Hannah, was it? She’s been lookin’ for this place for months.”

“I followed him.” Gabriel gestured towards Krypto who had decided to lay down beneath one of the tables, watching the events cautiously. His attention mostly on Sam and Dean. Like they would abandon the poor dog again.

 _Never again_.

“Nothing in Heaven can keep out the loyalty of a dog hunting it’s owners. Krypto, say hi to the man.”

Krypto ignored him in favor of resting his head on his paws. “Don’t worry, though. My brothers and sisters don’t really care about your free-range exploration and they won’t consider using a dog to find you if they are interested.”

“I’ve heard some interesting things about you.” Ash mused, eyeballing him for a long moment. “What I wouldn’t give for five minutes in your head.”

“I promise. You don’t want that. I barely understand what’s going through my head anymore. When I get myself fully functional again, I’ll come up again and let you play twenty questions.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” The man promised and Gabriel believed him. Undoubtedly. As Ash went around the back of the bar, Ellen and Jo came out of the back looking a bit mournful but in agreement.

“I’m comin’ with you. But… well, mom’s stayin’.”

“You sure?” Dean asked, frowning when he looked at Ellen.

“Yeah. I’ve got Will here and I’m good.” Dean nodded and looked at Jo who approached them.

“So how’s this work?”

“Well, I drag your souls down to Earth and rebuild your meatsuits. Sam and Dean’ll be easy for me. I’ve got a bunch of their possessions around. Really easy access DNA regrowth. You didn’t leave a grave so I’ll have to dig up your corpse from the ruins of Carthage.”

“Real nice.”

“Any alterations that any of you want, let me know.” He thought for a second, eyeing Dean, “Within reason.”

“I’m not-”

“Don’t wanna hear!” Sam interrupted, covering his ears like a child. The reaction caused him, Dean, and Jo to burst into a fit of laughter. After it died down, Jo shook her head.

“I’m good.”

“Can we have a second?” Sam asked and Dean and Jo left them alone, going to give Krypto attention.

“I think I know what this is about.”

“How is the fertility crisis?”

“Being dealt with. Don’t worry, Sam. We don’t hold the fate of the human race in my ability to jumpstart your baby making ability.”

Sam didn’t look in the least bit amused and Gabriel grimaced, averting his gaze. This topic was Loki’s territory. Not his. But she wasn’t here so he needed to man up. Handle it carefully unlike he had when he was without his Coyote memories.

“Or, we can wait until they’re back.”

“Loki doesn’t really want more kids.” Gabriel admitted, “But… Coyote does. Did. I can’t tell you what her current feelings are on the matter.”

“And you?”

Gabriel averted his gaze, sighing softly. “I think it could be… interesting. It’s jumbled, Sam. I had children when I was Loki so it’s not that crazy of an idea. But honestly?” He looked back at Sam, a smile curling on his mouth. “Yes. In the future. But only if you stopped hunting.”

“I wouldn’t ever do that to a kid.”

“Then it’s settled. I’ll fix the damage that was done to you.”

Shifting on his feet, he waved his hand, waiting for a moment as the two Hunters and their dog came over.

“Last chance.”

“We’re good.” Dean nodded and Sam smiled comfortably at him before taking his hand.

“Alright. You won’t remember anything between leaving here and coming back to life.” He warned them before picking up their souls, kneeling down to hug Krypto before flying.

 **.-~*~-.  
**GABRIEL  
***~-.-~***

The atmosphere felt lighter. They’d put Odin on the list of “fertility” Gods while he was in Asgard and he’d left. Looking for Cagn.

Any damned Trickster.

A stop in Africa where Cagn’s home had once been introduced him to a fifty foot crater that he didn’t have the skills or current powers to fix. There was devastation to the landscape around it. Some that he was able to repair but mostly lost for good.

 _Loki. Coyote. Where are you?_ He spent an hour skirting the planet. Looking for Tricksters. Looking for signs of Cagn. He even tried two different summonings. No response. Reverse-summonings did nothing. It was the visit to Maariamma that inevitably lead him to a hospital in western India where Kali was. She looked genuinely surprised when she opened her tired eyes, skin paler than it should have been. Color drained from her iris leaving them with an unnerving white hue.

“Which one are you?”

“The angel.” He admitted, crossing the space to her side and examining her closely. “You aren’t human.”

“I’m as good as. Where are the others?”

“I brought Sam and Dean back.” It wasn’t hard to remove the IV from her arm while he carefully lifted the barely protesting Goddess into his arms bridal style before flying them to the house, setting her down on the bed.

“Sam’s bed.” She murmured, closing her eyes. “You have no reason to help me.”

“I have no reason to make you suffer, either. Sam and Loki care for you. That is reason enough for me to care about your well-being.”

“Well, it seems I am lucky then.” She sighed deeply, “I don’t know what happened to them.”

“How did you live, Kali? When they made their final strike… everything exploded.”

“Loki warned me. Told me to stop and run.”

“Anything after that?”

“No. I was caught in the crossfire and Durga of all of the Goddesses found me in the middle of a field. She took me to that human hospital. Where is Sam?”

“They are in town eating. I brought back an old friend of theirs.”

“Interesting choice.” Kali mused, eyes drifting closed. “Assuming they’re alive, you might consider checking hospitals. Human Tricksters will ultimately make themselves known.” He didn’t need the hypothetical human Tricksters, though. He needed Cagn and those same Tricksters had already proven that they couldn’t find them.

“Try not to debauch my fiancé.”

“Gabriel, if I could lift my arms, I would gladly have survival sex with Sam Winchester. I think we have all earned it.” Gabriel smiled at her, shaking his head before stepping out into the living room.

“What the-”

“Gabriel.” The waiting Trickster greeted him.

“Veles, where is Cagn?”

“A long way aways.” Veles answered, drawing into himself and pulling his legs to his chest, head resting on his knees. “Look at me, Gabriel. Closely.”

He paused, examining the Trickster closer. His energies we’re low. Dangerously low.

_Almost human._

“Cagn couldn’t have done what they did without sucking all of our souls nearly dry. We'll recover. But it will take time.”

“How did you get here?”

“I was at your local hospital. When Coyote made me kill her… she told me where you lived. In case things went too far and Loki never went to Cagn’s.”

Coyote hated Veles. But Gabriel also knew it had to be true. The desperation having led her to the only Trickster that would be capable of killing her.

 _“Why_ are you here? Where are the others? Cagn?”

“Any surviving Trickster would be in the same position as me. Cagn… is worlds away. They are handling Order. We will never know where it goes. But Cagn will return to us.”

“Why should I trust you? You- Veles, you loathe us. You tried to _kill_ us. You _murdered_ Coyote.”

“And Coyote and her pack tried to kill me. Believe me or don’t, I have nothing to gain or lose from it.” Gabriel was quiet while he considered the Trickster. He didn’t trust him. Didn’t want to believe him. But it made sense. A painful amount of sense.

Sighing, he leaned back into the wall. Slid down it so he was on the floor. “You are not going to stay here.”

“Much like your alter ego, I am prepared for the sudden onset of humanity. I was here to deliver a message.” Veles rose to his feet, brushing his clothes off before making his way to the door. “For what it’s worth, Cagn doesn’t plan on letting anyone that died in the crossfire stay dead. They will return.”

“I really hope you’re right.”

“So do I.” Veles admitted quietly, making his way out the door and leaving Gabriel there, alone.


	22. Coyote and The Missing Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coyote comes back and does some work.

**.-~*~-.  
**COYOTE  
***~-.-~***

Being alive again was disorienting. It had to have been months since she last saw the Earth’s blue sky and when Cagn returned her to the Earth, brought her back to life. It was disorienting to say the least.

“Coyote.” She didn’t look away from the sky. The sun. The clouds. Life. The world they had saved. Their world. “How do you feel?”

“Tired. Alone. I can’t feel the other Tricksters.”

“It will take some time before I can revitalize the others. You and the Azeban are the only Tricksters at full power currently.”

“And Loki?” She still remembered her. It had to be Cagn’s meddling, guarding her mind from the memory loss that Loki and Gabriel had gone through.

Cagn smiled reassuringly at her, shaking their head. “Not yet. I promise you, Coyote. I will bring them back. I just need time to recover. One soul at a time.”

“How long have we been gone?”

“By their time, months. Three.”

“And are they alive? Gabriel? Sam and Dean?”

“Gabriel is alive. He brought back your Hunters. But you know that, don’t you?” Coyote pursed her lips, frowning when she realized that… no. She didn’t. Where there had always been an open link between her and Gabriel… there was a dull thrum. Like someone had broken the connection between their souls. Beat it down with a mallet until there was almost nothing there at all.

“What… why?” Carefully she pressed against the connection until she was able to push through, memories and information flooding across their joined minds.

The breath she released was echoed across the connection, relief washing through them both.

She turned around, meeting Gabriel’s gaze when he arrived in a flutter of wings. “Gabriel.”

“Coyote.” She buried her face in his shoulder when he stepped forward to pull her tight against his chest. “We were worried.”

“So were we.” She carefully pulled out of his hold, lifting her gaze to meet his. “Cagn didn’t know what damage they caused. Not until we made it back here.” Coyote gestured around them at the now repaired African wilderness. The lands that had been decimated on their return, resolved. Wiped from the memories of humanity.

“Where were you?”

“Away.” She answered quietly. “Just… away.” None of them could know. Would know. It was Cagn’s secret, would end with Cagn.

“When will you give us back Loki, Cagn?” Gabriel looked at them, The Trickster pursing their lips.

“I’m weak now. Maybe days. No longer than four months. I have to return them in the order that I took them. But Loki is within. With Anansi and Sun Wukong. All of them.”

“What about the ones who weren’t Death Marks?”

 _Crow_. _Apate. Nanabozho. So many names._ “The ones that were killed in the battle will get to return as well. In time. No casualty from Order or myself will remain. None of you were meant to be there to begin with.”

“How is Coyotl, Gabriel?”

“Considering the situation, he is coping well.” Coyote had to pry that connection open again to get the images of Coyotl. Curled up on the couch. Asleep. Usually asleep.

_Depressed. Lonely. Basically human._

“That’s not coping.” She huffed, shaking her head and looking towards Cagn. “Please, Cagn. Bring her back to me.”

 _Not us._ She realized with less guilt than she would have expected. Her. Because Gabriel was an unstoppable force when it came to them being One. He had been since it first happened. They had known, and they had ignored it. Then they had been Three and…

Well, Gabriel was the only one that had been able to take control whenever he wanted.

They didn’t meld well anymore. That severed connection was nothing more than a manifestation of their damaged relationship. Their lack of _Oneness_.

“Coyote?”

“I want to see Sam.” She stepped back from Gabriel completely before teleporting. She landed in the hallway, rolling her eyes at the sounds coming from her room.

 _Kali_. She beat on the door before making her way into the living room, dropping down next to Coyotl and shaking him awake.

He stared for a moment before fumbling upright, and into her waiting arms for a tight hug. “Coya.”

“Hey, Coyo.” She grinned into his neck, breathing in the familiar wild scent of one of her closest companions.

“You stupid, _selfish_ , woman. You don’t get to just die on me! What were you thinking?” He tugged her back by her hair and she grinned at him.

“You know I was right. I saved the world so you don’t get to get upset with me.”

“Do I?” She turned, meeting Sam’s gaze across the space between them. Swallowing, her smiled faded and she looked at the floor.

“I believe this is my cue to leave.”

“You’re staying, Kali.” Coyote spoke up before rising to her feet. “We… we need to talk. All of us.” She didn’t need to think about it to know Gabriel was in the kitchenette. Probably gathering cookies to put in the dining area. “Where’s Dean?”

“On a hunt with Jo. I can get them-”

“No. That’s good. Saves him from… this.” She gestured around.

“Where’s Loki?” Sam asked as she approached him, keeping a small distance for the moment.

“Still with Cagn. They are still very drained. Bringing us back will take time. But she _will_ come back. I promise. Cagn isn’t God,” She cast a knowing look towards Gabriel. “They don’t turn their back and they don’t lie. So, yes. We will get Loki back. Once they have recovered enough.”

Coyote let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding when Sam pulled her into a tight hug, crushing her close against his chest. “You scared us.” He muttered into her ear and she cleared her throat, squeezing him tight.

“I couldn’t risk you talking me out. I had to do it.”

“I know.” He didn’t readily release her when she started to pull away so she reached down, threading their fingers together.

The four of them settled into the dining table, Coyote holding Gabriel’s gaze while she spoke. “I’m going to keep this part short because I don’t care much about it.” Her gaze moved to Kali’s, “Hurt him, though? I’ll make you wish you were dead.”

“Is that the big brother speech coming from the fiancé?”

“It’s the _I love this man very much_ speech. And the same comes from Loki.”

“You don’t know where Cas is, do you?” Gabriel asked her and she stared at him.

“We thought he died. Was he not dead with you?”

“We never saw him in the afterlife.” Gabriel admitted and she frowned, realizing she hadn’t retained anything from Gabriel’s death. Had she taken any of that information at all?

Did she really care?

“I was hoping Cagn did something with him.” Gabriel admitted, “Me and Raph have been looking but…”

“Did you check Heaven and Hell?”

“What- why would…”

“Because anything that was on the ground when Cagn and Order clashed was absorbed for power. Souls can’t be used in that way by Primordials…”

“But Grace could.” Gabriel finished, realization dawning on his expression. “You think he was human when he died. Which means that when he died… he went to Heaven or Hell.”

“Gabe.” Sam said quietly and Gabriel groaned, rubbing his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Coyote looked between them.

“You know the ‘no resurrection’ rule?” Sam asked and she frowned, prodding at the memories she’d pulled from Gabriel, realization hitting her like a freight train.

“Heaven won’t turn another blind eye.”

“Resurrections are the big no-go.” Gabriel confirmed, crossing his arms on the table. “Hannah has made it clear. It won’t happen again after what I did and I don’t have anything left to bargain.”

“What about Hell?” Kali asked and Coyote met her gaze. “From what I know of him, he possessed a lot of self-loathing. That combined with his status as a Fallen, would that not be a nearly guaranteed line to your Hell?”

“We can ask Abigail.” Gabriel gave in, “But I’ve been banned from Hell.”

“I wonder why.” He gave her a dirty look that she chose to ignore, rising to her feet.

“Wait-”

“I’ll be back.” Coyote promised, smiling reassuringly at Sam. “Then we’ll do something together. I promise.”

“Be careful.” Sam didn’t look at all happy about her decision but she didn’t let it get to her, not for the moment. This was important. Castiel was important to all of them. Part of their weird little family.

“Don’t worry. She won’t be alone.” Coyotl chimed from the living room and she cast her focus to the stumbling almost-human.

“No.”

“You say that like it’s your choice.” He grinned and she shook her head. “Coya.”

“You’re basically human. If I was willing to drag a human along, I’d take Sam. He can at least defend himself as a human.”

“And I can talk. A lot. You need me and you know it.” There was a desperate plea in his demeanor. The words. Cocky and arrogant but an underlying desperation to be there. With someone. _I need to get out of here, Coya. I’m not supposed to be like this. Let me pretend._ Against her better judgement, she nodded slightly, shoulders slumping in defeat.

“We’ll be back.” She snapped her fingers and they were at one of the Hell-entrances. Coyotl quietly brushing against her side while she beat on the door.

“You are not welcome here.” A younger female voice chimed from the other side of the door.

“Yes, I am. If you don’t believe me, get your Queen up here! If you think I’m kidding, I’ll gladly break down the doors. Or do you want an angry Trickster on your ass?” Silence echoed from the other side for several long times before the metal door opened and she stepped through with Coyotl on her heels, Abigail looking none-too-pleased to see her.

“You aren’t welcome here.”

“Well, that’s fine. I don’t really want to be here. Just need to know if a certain angel is down here in your fortress.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, _that_? He’s not here. I threw him back onto the Earth because he was drivin’ me nuts.”

“ _Where_?”

“I don’t know. I don’t _care_. Do you have any idea the turmoil your ass of a third part caused me? I’m _done_. Hell’s business stays in Hell. Angels ain’t my business. _Hell_ is my business and considering I pulled every demon off Earth you should be kissin’ my _boots_ , Coyote. Really. I’m sorry he’s gone but he’s somewhere up there. Alive, I might add. So, you’re welcome for breakin’ that rule.”

Coyote restrained herself from punching the cambion in the face, Coyotl tense and ready to strike at her side. “Any idea as to _where_?”

“The northern hemisphere. Probably North America. I don’t spend much time up there anymore, Coya. Really, for what it’s worth. I didn’t do it to be a dick. I did it ‘cause he was rilin’ Hell against me. I could’ve destroyed his pretty li’l soul.”

Coyote bristled, glaring at the woman. “Tell me how The Cage is?”

“Repaired. Gabriel is _not_ welcome to visit it.” Coyote understood why. Even if she felt bad for her other portion. “Anything else? Maybe death threats?”

“No, I’m done. Don’t, Coyo.” Coyote warned him when he took a step forward, curling her fingers around his arm and teleporting away.

“Why would you-”

“Because one of the last things we need is Hell pushing for a war again. There’s a time and a place. This… it’s not one of them.”

“How will we find Castiel, Coya?”

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Somewhere around three hundred and seventy million humans in North America. It wasn’t hard to guess that Castiel hadn’t prayed which could mean a number of things. The best case was that he was in a coma.

Worst… well, best not to think on that.

“What channels have they gone through looking for him?”

“John Does, Jane Does, Gabriel even checked in on his Vessel’s family. Gabriel and Raphael have been everywhere. Sam and Dean have the Hunter network looking. Nothing.”

Which meant they needed to look at unconventional methods. Ways to track a human or de-graced angel. A soul he hadn’t possessed _before_ dying as a human. So useless to track.

 _Coyote, Sam just called. I need to give you a damned hug. Get done with Hell and come see me. Arkansas, the Roundabout Inn in Lewiston._ A smile curled on her mouth a bit and she shook her head.

“Mind coming with me to say hi to Dean?”

“Absolutely. The ass took Krypto. He was the only one that really gets me, y’know?”

Coyote gave him a long look before rolling her eyes and snapping her fingers, the two of them disappeared from the front of the warehouse, reappearing outside of the exact motel. A scanning of the rooms showed that the Impala was parked in front of room nineteen and a bit of digging confirmed that Dean was in there.

_With a blonde girl?_

It rang a bell from the bits of Gabriel’s memories. The Hunter he had brought back with Sam and Dean. Jo. Joanna Beth Harvelle. Daughter of William and Ellen Harvelle. Killed during the Apocalypse.

Helpful information, but nothing interpersonal. Gabriel clearly hadn’t bothered getting to know her. Just generalized knowledge. It wasn’t shocking, but it still bothered her. How did she break the news that she didn’t want to go back to being part of Gabriel?

How would Loki handle it?

“She’s nice,” Coyotl offered, pulling her towards the room. “A bit naïve but tough. Treated me well.”

With those reassurances, she pushed passed Coyotl and knocked on the door. Silence for a moment, then the door came open. The blonde gave her a suspicious look before looking over at Coyotl, understanding masking the suspicion. “Dean! She’s here!”

 _One bed_. She mused internally, really unsurprised at the revelation. Sam had once told them that he thought his brother still harbored feelings for her. Repressed as all hell, of course. Because may the Gods forbid that either Winchester acknowledged that they could _actually_ feel.

Okay, mostly Dean. But still.

“That’s freaky.” She acknowledged as Coyote stepped in the door, Coyotl on her heels. “I mean- you look _just_ like him but…”

“Female. I’m aware.” She smiled at the woman before meeting Dean’s gaze when he came out of the bathroom. “Been a while.”

“Gotta be honest. Didn’t buy it at first.”

“Well, I’m here. Powers and all. Sadly, it’s just me for now. Now… about that hug?” The Dean hug was a patented tight crushing that would’ve left her unable to breath if she was human again. Then it was over and he punched her, lightly, in the shoulder with an annoyed glare that made her grin sheepishly.

“I know. Only you get to do the self-sacrifice. Me and Loki went over this speech a hundred thousand times while we waited to make it back to Earth.”

“Where is Loki? Sam didn’t tell me.”

“Dead still.” Dean didn’t look happy but he also clearly wasn’t shocked at the revelation, “She’ll be back. Just is going to take time.” She admitted.

“How’re you handling that?”

“If you mean how are me and Gabriel working together? We aren’t. And I _really_ don’t want to get into my thoughts on my angelic third right now.”

“He wasn’t in his right mind.”

“Dean, I get that you’ve got the brother cause. Sister cause in me and Lo’s cases. But Michael was a risk to _everything_ we died for and Gabriel knew it and he _tried to do it anyway_. I was still able to access their minds when I was dead. When Loki died, she could do the same. So, don’t try to downplay his attempted infiltration of Hell. He nearly ruined things for us.”

“I know.” Dean grimaced, averting his gaze. “I just get where he’s coming from, y’know?”

“What you don’t know is that Michael spent _months_ guilttripping Gabriel about The Cage. Because it was ultimately _us_ that did that to him. We gave you boys the key. No one else. So, Michael’s right to be angry. But Gabriel isn’t stupid either. He chose to keep going there. No one is to blame for what happened after me and Loki died except _Gabriel_ and Gabriel alone. We both reminded him countless time what the price might be.”

“So, I’m guessing the adult portion is here?” Coyote smiled at Jo, “How does that even work?”

“It doesn’t… not really.” She crossed her arms over her chest, thinking about Castiel again. “Not anymore.”

“Hey, can we go eat?”

“Oh, so you’re eating again?” Dean asked Coyotl who ignored him in favor of continuing to give Krypto attention, petting and scratching the enthralled dog’s ears and tail.

“Coyo.”

“Not my fault your boyfriend’s a health freak. Insisted on _healthy meals_. What kind of torture is that?”

“You wouldn’t eat what I cooked either.” Dean pointed out with a roll of his eyes.

“Of course not. I would rather not die from overconsumption of grease, thank you very much.” Coyote chose to ignore the bickering, pushing the door open.

“Let’s eat before I kill you both.”

Five minutes later the four of them were seated in a diner, a puppy eyed Krypto staring at them from the front of the Impala because the stubborn dog had started howling the moment they closed the motel room door in his face.

“Two stacks of chocolate chip pancakes, three whipped cream sides, and a Coke.”

“For you…” The waitress said slowly, gaping at the small body of Coyotl without any shame.

“Same here.” Coyote beamed with a wide grin, the woman’s gaze flicking to her before she scrambled to write down the order.

“Best burger you have for this one.” Jo spoke on Dean’s behalf, “And the same with a side salad for me.”

“Right- any drinks?”

“Water.” Dean spoke up, “For the both of us.”

“Which do you think disturbed her more?” Coyotl asked, popping the top off of one of the jelly containers.

“You.” Coyote answered, “I’m sure she thinks I was ordering it to make you seem like less of a freak.”

“I’m not a freak. It’s not my fault my tastebuds are like eating sand.” Which was fair.

“We’re Tricksters, Coyo. We’re always freaks.”

“So…” Dean asked, clearing his throat and drawing her attention. “Have you had any luck with Cas?”

“Not exactly. We… know he’s in North America. When Cagn and Order did the big bang that killed you two, Cas was a victim of the same thing that the Tricksters were.”

“A complete power drain.” Dean surmised and she nodded.

“So, he was human for a split second. A _lot_ of us were killed in that crossfire. And Cas got caught in the blast. So, he died. As a human.”

“So, what? He’s in Heaven?”

Coyote didn’t answer immediately, the waitress returning and setting their drinks out for them. Looking at them all like they were crazies, she scurried from the table again and Coyote took her drink, sniffing at the carbonated syrup before changing its contents to wine.

“Care to share?” Dean asked, eyeing her clearly different liquid.

“You’re on a hunt. Gotta leave my favorite brother sober and of a clear mind.” She grinned at the unamused Hunter. “Cas was in Hell after he died.”

“Guessing he’s not anymore?”

“Abigail said she brought him back because he was rallying the dead against her. Her status as their Queen only lasts as long as she can keep them believing that she’s unstoppable. She rules with fear because most people and monsters don’t have a clue how to kill a cambion.”

“Of course,” Coyotl cut in, “If someone like Castiel were to convince them she _wasn’t_ as limitless as she acts, she would lose her power. It’s smart. Until she starts riling up her adversaries.”

“Coyo, we’re not going to _attack_ Hell.” She insisted, glaring at her packmate who didn’t look in the least bit apologetic.

“Would that really be a bad thing?”

“Yes.” She answered Jo’s question, “Hell is under control with her in power. She’s reasonable, if not infuriating. Smart and actually gives a damn about the idea of _not_ letting the world end. So, she’s the perfect ruler.”

“As long as she doesn’t get too cocky.” Dean spoke and Coyote nodded, “What did she do with Cas?”

“Resurrected him. But she doesn’t know _where_ he is. Or went when he came back. Unless Gabe and Raphael have both been ignoring prayers directed at them- which is possible but not true in Gabriel’s case, he hasn’t tried to reach out to us. Which could mean a boatload of things.”

“Best case?”

“Coma.” Coyote answered honestly, “If he’s in a coma, I can wake him up. The worst cases- well, let’s be optimistic.”

“What are the worst cases?”

“Total memory loss. He was reincarnated. A reaper took him to a different afterlife.” She muttered, silence following the reluctant revelation. Their waitress arrived with the first part of their order, setting down the plates and dishes in front of them.

When she left Coyotl spoke up, scooping up some of the whipped cream with his finger and offering it across the table to Jo who glared in response. “It’s possible that he’s only recently come back. Maybe you should call that Hunter girl- what was her name? Charlotte?”

“Charlie.” Dean corrected, a bit of hope manifesting itself in his voice. “Let me call her,” He scrambled for his phone while Coyote dumped the whipped cream on top of her pancake stacks, scraping more from the bowls onto the top. Then promptly dousing it with syrup.

“I think I’m going to get diabetes watching you eat,” Poor Jo looked genuinely mortified. Face turning just a bit green.

“I’d apologize but it’d be a lie.” Coyotl abandoned making his own food in favor of cutting through hers and taking a bite of a large chunk of the chocolate chip pancakes. “Really, Coyo?” She rolled her eyes at the completely and utterly inappropriate sounds he chose to make.

“For a house with two Tricksters living in it, your home was _seriously_ lacking in sweets.”

“We stopped keeping them because every time you and Crow came over you would eat them all.” She reminded him.

“Hey, Charlie- yeah, no. I know, I promise. Things have just been crazy the last few weeks- it’s about Cas.” Coyote couldn’t help but snicker, shaking her head at the other woman’s audible interrogating on the other line. “That John Doe search you ran a while back? Can you do that again?”

“So, Jo.” Coyote spoke up, drawing the blonde’s attention. “How are you handling this?”

“Your alter-ego never asked that.”

“My alter-ego is a pain in the ass.” She responded.

“That, he is. It’s weird.” She admitted as the waitress returned with the burgers, apologizing as she set the plates in front of Jo and Dean. “Thank you.” Jo offered the woman a false smile and they were alone again. “The world’s changed a lot but it’s not like it’s been a hundred years or something.” _Yeah, that was disorienting._ Coyote thought while she stabbed her fork into Coyotl’s pancake pile, equally dressed like hers. “But things are different.”

“And so is he?” Dean choked, giving her the most frustrated look that he could muster while Coyote grinned at him innocently.

“Not as much as he seems to think.” Jo grinned at her, “But he did grow up.”

“No way? Holy crap! Thanks, Charlie. Tell Eileen I said ‘hey’ and we’ll see you in a couple weeks.” Dean hung up quickly after that, not looking as pleased as his tone had let on. “She said there was a hit. A nursing home in Broward County, Florida.”

Coyote’s stomach twisted a bit with that revelation before she shook it off, figuring it was the Fates sick and twisted humor. Dragging them back time and time again. There were times they’d all considered burning the entire city to the ground. After clearing it of humans, of course. Low casualty, high price.

“Dean, what’re you hunting?”

“Werewolf.” He answered reluctantly, already fully aware of where this was going. A quick hunt end. Something that they did when they were in a rush or when the Hunters decided the body count was too high. Ending it for them.

“It’s your choice.”

“Give us tonight? Make Sam call the second you get there.”

“Deal.” Coyote grabbed a spoonful of the whipped cream syrup mix off her plate before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “Oh, and here,” She snapped her fingers and a pile of hundreds appeared on the table. “Give our poor waitress one of those. Get a _real_ hotel for your woman. She deserves it.”

“Hey!”

Coyote winked at Jo before snapping her fingers, landing unsteadily outside of the small nursing home. “You know she won’t take it, right?” Coyotl asked.

“I know he’ll want it. They’ll get in that room sooner or later.”

“Are you sure you’ll be able to wake him up?”

It was a valid question, all dependent on the ex-angel’s mental state. The damage his soul had taken in Hell and during his resurrection. “So, he’s my brother.” Coyote considered the story they would tell. “What’s that make you?”

“I’m too dark to be related to you. How about your husband?”

“I really don’t want to agree with that but fine. Hands off, though. I’ll eat you.” She warned him when he snatched her hand, threading their fingers together.

“You don’t scare me, Coya.” He grinned at her and she sighed dramatically, tugging him forward as they made their way through the entrance to the nursing home.

It turned out, the staff didn’t seem to care much about their story. Castiel was the facility’s only John Doe and they were thrilled to have someone to claim him.

“Can we have a minute?” She asked before the nurse could begin prying for answers, nudging a suggestion into the woman’s mind to leave them alone. The door was shut and Coyote was left standing with Coyotl at Castiel’s bedside. All sorts of nasty machines hooked up to keep him breathing. Fed. Watered. It was awful and people willingly did this to their loved ones.

Coyote nodded towards the door and Coyotl moved away to lock it, Coyote carefully lowering the bed and half kneeling on it so that she was able to look across his unconscious form at his face. In comparison to how the angel usually was, he seemed to be at peace. Content. But on second glance there was a distinctive worry just beneath the surface. A tension or stress she could just barely see.

“Hey, Castiel. It has been a while. I know I don’t really fit your brother rule, but believe it or not I actually seem to care about your fate. So, let’s see if I can wake you up. Bring you home to my fiancé and his idiot of a brother.”

“What if he screams?”

“He won’t scream.” She touched his chest, closing her eyes and pressing her lips together. Carefully, she pressed her hand into his chest, reaching through to touch the fledgling soul. It was tainted, unsurprisingly. Coated in a dark layer of corruption. Brought on by his Fall. Self-worth. Probably his time in Hell. She carefully slipped through the cracks in it, drawing forward the consciousness hidden deep in the core. Locked away and lost due to inexperience. Lack of experience as a human. Virtually no time with a soul to call his own.

She nearly fell off the hospital bed when Castiel started choking violently, gasping around the tubes shoved down his throat. She was quick to snap her fingers, removing all of the foreign objects from their positions. A grin crossed her face when wild blue eyes darted around before landing on her, confused and disoriented.

“Hey, Castiel. I’m Coyote, to clear the confusion quickly.”

“What-” His voice was rougher than usual, dehydrated, confused. “Human.” He managed and she nodded, having pity as she snapped up a small cup of ice.

“Coyo, help him up.” It took a bit of prodding before they figured out how to maneuver the bed so that he could sit upright, Coyote offering the ice cup that the ex-angel took warily, setting one of the smaller pieces in his mouth. “You’ve never been human before.” Castiel shook his head slightly, mouth moving weirdly as he clearly played with the ice against his tongue. “Well, I wish I could say it gets easier.”

“Think Cagn can fix him?” Coyotl asked warily and she grimaced, shook her head. Crow. Crow would be devastated to find out the first person he had chosen to try to pursue anything with since…

Forever…

Had been turned into a human.

“I… where are they?”

“Home.” She answered honestly, looking at her lap. “Loki and Crow are still dead.” Castiel made a small sound and she reached over, squeezing his ankle reassuringly. “He’ll be back. Cagn won’t leave anyone dead that died during their fight.”

“Thank you, Coyote. I know you owe me nothing.” The words were still a bit rough but significantly more distinctive now.

“Castiel, you’re one of the closest things I have ever had to a brother. Of course, I owed you this. But even if I didn’t? Sam wouldn’t have forgiven me for leaving you as a vegetable.” Castiel laughed softly, a genuine sound that barely registered with her as possibly being real. In all of the time she knew him, she could barely recall the number of times she had ever heard that sound come from him.

Tragic in a way.

“Are you ready to go home?” She asked, rolling her shoulders.

“Yes. Yes, I am.”

“Alright then.” Smiling, she snapped her fingers. Feeling genuinely good for the moment.


	23. Loki and The Hell Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and some old friends take a quick trip down to Hell. Sam won't be particularly happy about it but it's most likely not the end of the world so he'll probably forgive them.

**­.-~*~-.  
**LOKI  
***~-.-~***

Loki didn’t waste time when she came back. She knew that Coyote had. That she’d basked in the glory of being alive for several long and easy moments. But Loki didn’t have that time. She’d gone home and pinned her wonderful fiancé to the bed.

Enjoyed every damned moment of not being _dead_. Because dead sucked. Even when some of her past lovers were there with her. Willing to enjoy a little fun.

What? They’d talked about it and agreed to it. Plus, death didn’t count.

She was going to tell Sam. It wasn’t cheating. She wouldn’t ever do that again.

“Should we tell the others?” Sam asked, sounding perfectly content with the idea of them _not_ getting out of bed yet.

“Coyote already did.” She mused, rolling over to wrap her right leg around his waist, a grin crossing her face. “So, thanks for waiting until I died to sleep with my ex.”

“Oh, don’t play like you stayed abstinent while you were dead, Lo.” Ah, so he _did_ know. Coyote, the snitch.

_If you were worried what he’d think you wouldn’t have done it._

_I will kick you, Coya._

_Get out here before I send Kali to crash your welcome home party._

“I’m going to kill her.”

“Did Coyote threaten you?”

“I have a feeling this was discussed.”

Sam chuckled, moving into a sitting position and stretching. “Just a bit. It’s been seven months since you died, Lo. We’ve had a fair amount of time to think this over.”

About four months since Coyote came back and Loki had a feeling she knew what the other part of her had concluded. Something that she couldn’t protest against.

Things had changed too much.

Rubbing her eyes, Loki pushed out of the bed and snapped some clothes onto the both of them. “How is Cas taking humanity?”

“Why don’t you know the answer to that?”

“Because… well, we aren’t quite as close as we were and I’m not really digging through Coya’s memories. I know the basics. Not the specifics.”

Sam gave her a long look before getting off the bed. “He’s okay. Is Crow back yet by chance?”

“Cagn was pretty sure they could bring back someone else tomorrow. After bringing Sun Wukong back there was a dramatic power shift.”

“Because he has a large portion of the Trickster power.”

“Sun Wukong was the first- or second Trickster ever created. So, yeah. He’s got a _lot_ of it. Cagn admitted that they weren’t sure what order the Death Marks would work best in so they put the Azeban at the start and Sun Wukong at the end. Because they hold some of the highest power reserves. C’mon.” She pushed out of the room, kneeling down to hug an excited Krypto who had been patiently waiting outside the door for her.

“Hey, boy. How’re you doin’? Let me see that face.” She planted kisses all over the near white lab, laughing and shaking her head when he returned the love. Leaving her with a nasty coat of doggy drool on her face. “Definitely missed you the most out of all the idiots here.” She rose to her feet to hug Coyote, kissing her cheek carefully and all but squeaking a stunned sound when Coyote caught her and drug their mouths together in an oddly chaste but comfortable kiss.

She could feel the stunned eyes on her. Coyote’s kisses had been reserved solely for Sam in the past. In all of her life, Coyote had never willingly handed them out because she didn’t enjoy them.

When she pulled away Loki laughed, clearing her throat and grinning at their audience of Dean, Jo, Coyotl, and Kali.

“Kali, if you’re going to punch me. I’d like to ask you to wait.”

“I want to do something much _worse_ than kill you, you reckless little ass.” There was a fondness to her tone that Loki hadn’t expected. Maybe an understanding. Which was a lot more than she’d ever considered possible from her ex-wife.

“Nice piece of arm candy.” Loki grinned at the woman he knew to be Jo Harvelle.

“I’m going to kill her.” Jo declared before Loki crossed the room, hugging her brother with a broad grin.

“There’s a lot more fun things in this world that you could do with me, doll.”

“Loki, I’m _begging_ you here.” Loki laughed at Dean’s response, shaking her head and pulling away.

“Fine. I’ll behave,” She offered her hand to the blonde. “Hi, I’m Loki. The Trickster God. Sam’s fiancé and the favorite of his partners.”

“Somehow I doubt that.” She took her hand anyways, suspicious. “I’m Jo.”

“Nice to meet you.” Loki grinned, kissing the top of her hand before releasing it and stepping back. “You two will make the cutest of baby Winchesters.”

“Not gonna happen.”

“Little late for that one. Considering your history of sexcapades, I’m genuinely shocked it took this long.”

_We weren’t going to tell them, Lo. It wasn’t our place._

_Are you kidding, Coya? I’m not letting her hunt with my future niece or nephew cooking up in her oven and you should’ve told them the second you realized_.

“I’m not- I mean I _can’t_ be…”

“Accidents happen.” Loki shrugged, stepping back. Feeling pity for the two in front of her, Dean’s expression nearly horrified and all of the color draining from Jo’s. “I know it’s scary and you two are fresh off the relationship wagon but take it from me. Kids change you.”

“I need a minute.” Jo muttered, taking off down the hall.

“Did you know?” Sam asked from their room.

“It wasn’t my place to say anything.” Gabriel spoke from where he was seated in the living area.

“Hate to agree with him, but he’s right. It wasn’t our place and it was their own recklessness. They’re adults. They knew the risk.”

“You should’ve told me. That’s a big damned bomb to drop.” Loki laughed softly, shaking her head.

“It was going to be a big bomb either way. They get to deal with the fallout of their decisions. And now we need to deal with the fallout of Gabriel’s stupid decisions.”

“I-“

“The second I came back I could feel the tension between you two. If I didn’t have _other_ things in mind I would’ve dragged you both into a kiss and makeup session because the self-loathing between _us_? It’s not going to work. We need to deal with ourself.”

“Selves.” Coyote said quietly and Loki met her gaze as she crossed the room to drop down onto the couch, recognizing her thought process far more than whatever was going through Gabriel’s head.

Because she wasn’t completely wrong.”

“As much fun as this sounds, I’ll be… anywhere else.” Kali disappeared and Loki rolled her eyes, joining Sam and Coyote as they settled into the chairs, Krypto jumping up into Gabriel’s lap.

“We’re Three, Coya. I know you’re pissed. So am I. Gabe screwed up. Bad.”

“I can’t defend my actions.”

“That’s not the problem.” Coyote responded, rubbing her eyes and sighing deeply. “We aren’t One anymore. One died the second we became Three again. We _all_ know it. There’s no going back to One because we _don’t_ work as One. You can’t tell me for a second you don’t know the same thing.”

Silence fell between all of them, heavy and tense. The words finally spoken, the thing that they’d known from the _start_.

This couldn’t work.

Wouldn’t work.

Not as One.

“So, you stay Three.” Sam spoke up, Coyote and Loki shaking their heads. Gabriel covering his face with his hands. “You want to be Two.”

“Two can work.” Coyote said quietly, holding Loki’s gaze. “A Trickster, and an Archangel.”

“Us, and him.”

“I don’t want it to be like this. I know you had your time to talk about it while you were dead but I never got that. This wasn’t an Us discussion, Coyote. Loki. This was a _You_ discussion.”

“It was.” Loki agreed, meeting that familiar gaze. Her own gaze. The eyes she’d possessed for years now staring back at her like they belonged in someone else entirely.

“Not to be an ass- how would this impact us?”

“It wouldn’t, Sam.” Coyote promised. “Not for us.”

“Not for me.” Gabriel added, mouth clamping shut at the unintentional agreement.

Because he didn’t want to do this. But it wasn’t because he disagreed. It was _because_ he agreed. Gabriel hadn’t wanted to consider it and while Loki felt guilty, it wasn’t enough to make her change her mind. To reconsider it. It was all the difference of the information being in the open.

“Promise me this isn’t about Michael.”

“It isn’t.” They both said at the same time.

“The last thing this is about is your damned brother. Maybe it was a breaking point but it wasn’t all of it. This is about us and what is healthy for _Us_.”

“It sounds like we’re breaking up with him, Coyote.” Loki laughed a bit, shaking her head and circling the table to crawl into Gabriel’s lap. “This is different.” Loki said quietly, running her hands up to the base of his neck, “ _We_ are different.” Gabriel’s hands came around, resting on her hips. Hesitant, wary. “We aren’t desperate to reconnect because there’s nothing left to connect. We share a history. Not a self.”

“But Coyote and you do?”

“Funny how that works, hm?” Loki hummed, kissing him softly. Just a comfortable touch of skin on skin. Age-old and familiar. Comfortable. But no longer the desperate touching that it had been the first time they weren’t Three. Unneeded contact.

Unneeded presence.

“Coyote, tell me you don’t hate me.” Gabriel said quietly, Loki slowly removing herself from Gabriel to plant herself in Sam’s lap, much to their Hunter’s annoyance.

“I don’t hate you.” Coyote said softly, mouth curling down slightly. Almost a frown, but not quite. “I can’t hate you. Trust me. I’ve tried.” She laughed, shaking her head. “I tried so hard to hate you _both_.”

“Why?” Sam asked, ignoring Loki’s head on his shoulder.

“Because I’m proud and they’re the two people on the planet I can blame for my worst deeds.” Coyote pressed her lips together. “But, I’m not a saint. I know I’m not. I’ve done some awful things in my life.”

It was funny hearing Coyote confess that. The words coming out awkward and uncomfortable. Like she didn’t believe them herself. Couldn’t comprehend why she was saying it.

“None of us are saints.” Loki mused, looking at Gabriel. “But we don’t need to be. We just need to care, you taught us that. One or not, we’ll never forget it again.”

“Look at you being a sap, Loki.”

“I blame you.” Loki grinned, “So, how’re we going to do this, Coya? How’re we going to become One?”

“We aren’t.” She answered, holding Loki’s gaze. “Not yet. Because there’s something else that needs to be addressed. The thing that Sam told Gabriel.”

“We don’t-“

“Shush, Sammy.” Loki kissed him before he could protest again, smiling like an idiot. “You’ll like this.”

“There’s a few details we need to discuss. Because when Loki and I become One, we don’t know which specifics are going to carry over. For all we know my asexuality will dominate the two of our minds. Though I’m reluctant to admit it, I really doubt that will be the case.”

“So, what?”

“You want kids. We’ll do the kids thing. I’ve screwed mine up but with all of us in the mix, we’ll surely figure it out.”

“Human.” Gabriel added and Loki nodded, turning to meet both of their gazes then looking back at Sam’s relaxing features.

“Coyote can’t get pregnant- well… won’t go through the process. I can but… I’m reluctant. Mothering isn’t my favorite pastime and I genuinely _ruined_ that child. He wants me dead. In every sense of the word.”

“What’re you saying, guys? Because I’m getting mixed signals.”

“I know you don’t want this as an immediate outcome. But you are getting up there. So… we’ll wait.”

“Wait? For what?”

“Nephilim are too potent. Even if Gabe cuts out his Grace, we turn him to a fully functional woman with the whole set. There’s a chance that it goes the other way.”

“Lingering Grace in my system could turn a child I have into a nephilim.” Gabriel explained for them. “It means that either Loki or Coyote have to be the mother.”

“Or you,” Loki spoke up and Sam gave her the most dumbfounded if not slightly annoyed looks she’d received in a while. “Just sayin’. I can make you a woman. You can do the deed with me in a male body…” She waggled her eyebrows, “And bam! Human kid.”

“I’m going to vote no against this. But there’s other options.” Sam was smart. It was clearly clicking together in his brain what the delay was about. The dilemma in the entire situation. “We don’t _need_ to make a kid together.”

“But you want to. And I’d rather see your gorgeous looks running around than some stranger. A few extra years as Three won’t hurt anyone, Sammy. Including us. So, waiting for you is _fine_ , babe.” Loki kissed him, humming in satisfaction when the Hunter surrendered, returning the kiss. “You are impossible.” Sam muttered against her mouth. “All of you.”

“So are you, Sam. That’s why we work.” Loki pulled away, looking up as Dean came in the room.

“How’s that going, Dean?”

“We’ll survive it.” Dean answered, rubbing the back of his neck before settling into the seat with Gabriel. “So, are you going to survive them?”

“Not at all. But who said it would be easy?” Sam smiled softly, averting his gaze.

“We’re good, Dean.” Loki promised his not-brother. “It’s good.”

.-~*~-.  
LOKI  
*~-.-~*

“For the record, I think this is reckless.”

“I don’t see you charging the gates to warn Abigail.” Loki rolled her shoulders, dropping through the small crack in the universe after Gabriel, Coyote coming in with Crow, Coyotl, and Sun Wukong on her heels. The Hell corridor was nasty, littered with flesh and blood that Loki knew wasn’t real but still looked _very_ much like it was.

“That’s because I don’t want you two to die. I sort of need you both alive.” Coyote kicked her foot out, a chunk of gore flying onto the wall with a nasty smack.

“How does anything live in this?” Coyotl crinkled his nose, Sun Wukong snapping his fingers so the first article of clothing Loki had ever seen him wear appeared on his feet. Shoes. Well, sandals. But close.

“Monkey in human’s clothing?”

“You wouldn’t want to walk shoeless in this either.” Sun Wukong made a face before hitting her in the back of her head with his tail.

“Ouch! I wasn’t disagreeing!”

“No, but you were being a nuisance. Lead the way, Gabriel. I can’t hide us forever.” The trip through the horror that was Hell was uncomfortable and quiet. Everyone was listening closely, watching for anyone that may catch sight of them in some of the most dangerous parts of Hell.

It was Sun Wukong’s information that had them coming down at such a strange time. Moving quick and carefully through a place they never would have risked sneaking to.

Part of Loki wished they _weren’t_ trying but it was worth it. Worth the risk. Because that kind of guilt would eventually destroy Gabriel. They had to do it. It said more than anything that Coyote had agreed with the reckless plan. The potentially devastating idea.

“Here.” Gabriel pressed his hand against the large door in front of them and it creaked open slowly after a moment, the small group filing through the second they had space and following Gabriel as he rushed towards the edge of the Cage manifestation in the ground.

“Put them down. That there and those over there,” Sun Wukong began ordering them around, quick and precise in everything he said as Gabriel knelt down at the edge of the Cage border, murmuring quietly as he began to manifest Michael. “Loki!”

She shook her head, kneeling at her corner and etching her assigned sigils into the ground.

“We are positive this will work, right?”

“I will give it a forty-eight percent.” Sun Wukong decided, looking at them with a wide smile from the center. “But those odds promise a decent chance of chaos so it’s within reason.”

“I can’t believe you are helping with this, Sun.”

“Why would I not? The Archangel can only end this world if he can kill his brother and his brother will never be released again. Especially after we do this.”

It was true. The second they broke Michael out of The Cage, Abigail would amplify the guarding on The Cage. Cagn would double the number of their patrols. The Cage would be inaccessible to anyone that would let Lucifer out.

With Cagn backing the no ultimate demise of Earth, Lucifer wouldn’t escape. Not unless Cagn grew bored or another Primordial decided to force the issue. It wasn’t a secret that that knowledge was the only reason Coyote was helping them with the insane plan.

“You have five minutes.” Sun Wukong warned, a pair of wings flapping somewhere behind Loki drew her attention and she was left staring at Raphael like a deer in headlights.

“Do I need to tell you the recklessness of this plan, brother?” He asked, approaching the edge of the circle formed by four of the five Tricksters. Not crossing the line. Loki watched him closely as Sun Wukong came forward, Gabriel not letting up in his muttering.

“Raphael.”

“Of all of the fools I thought I would find down here, you were not one.”

“Are you going to go tell her?” Sun Wukong countered as the light walls that made up the ground manifestation of the Cage began to come into view, Michael curled up in the back corner.

Lucifer wasn’t in quite the same position, throwing himself violently at the wall. “You traitorous little-“

“Excuse me?” Lucifer stopped dead in his tracks, focus moving to Sun Wukong, mouth curling down in distain.

“I remember you.”

“I know you do, Devil.” Sun Wukong moved up to the wall of The Cage, pressing his palm against the side. “And now you are going to sleep and forget I was here.” Lucifer went rigid behind the wall before collapsing into a heap.

 _Angels don’t sleep_.

“Go, Gabriel.” Gabriel circled the Cage, dropping down next to the shaking form of Michael and beginning to talk quietly.

“That shouldn’t be possible.”

“It shouldn’t.” Sun Wukong agreed as Raphael crossed into the box. “But I did it.”

“I can give you two minutes. I have to tell them you’re here.”

“I didn’t think you were a soldier of Hell.” Loki taunted her not-brother, grinning at the dark look he cast her.

“I help Heaven. The Cage is a danger to us all, Loki.”

“Coming from ex-Team Apocalypse.”

“If I recall, you were involved in attempting to begin The Apocalypse as well. Maybe you should think twice before holding it against me. Times have changed. We have changed.”

_You won’t keep him talking long enough, Loki._

_Gabriel better be quick then._ “Have we changed? Or have I changed? Where is the evidence you have gotten past your desire for the end of the world? How do we know your dedication to Gabe is enough to keep you off the war path, Raphie?”

“Ah, yes. I almost forgot your little rebellion was taking place. Denying your history as an angel makes you nothing less of an angel, Loki. The three of you aren’t different entities, divided souls or not.”

“You know nothing about how our minds work. Who and _what_ we are. You don’t-“

“Gabriel.” Raphael cut her off, turning and moving around the edge of The Cage. “Michael.” Raphael wasn’t quiet in the way Gabriel had been, kneeling next to his brother and sighing deeply. Brushing his wings against Gabriel’s just out of view. “You need to come with us. Let Gabriel relieve you of your Grace.”

“I _can’t_!” Michael shouted, whipping up and turning to face them both. Panicking, wings tucked so close against his back it was easy to imagine that it _hurt_.

Because wings weren’t supposed to fold that way.

“Let him save you, Michael. You will never go back in there. We will kill you before we ever put you in that position again.”

Michael shuddered, wings shifting outwards just a fraction.

“Okay.” It was barely a whisper but it echoed through them all. “I will do it.” Relieving Michael of his Grace was simple. He pressed up against the wall, wings and body all shaking violently as Gabriel reached out with his Archangel blade, pressing the blade into his Form. As his power poured out of him, swirling and darting around The Cage, Gabriel reached inwards. Grabbed hold of his older brother and _pulled_. The two stumbled, Gabriel falling back with a screaming Michael at his side.

“Now!”

“Lak kalla ér týna!” Loki shouted, three different languages echoing the same words from three different Tricksters, Sun Wukong chanting several different words. Not any variant of Chinese. Something older. Words Loki couldn’t begin to hope to understand. Then it was over and everything was quiet for several, long, fleeting moments. Gabriel had pulled Michael into his lap, the oldest Archangel shivering quietly where he was pressed against his brother.

“Don’t take him to Heaven,” Raphael warned like they had at all planned to do that. Like they would _risk_ that.

_Loki, you know that Sam is going to kill us._

_He’ll forgive us eventually._ Loki rose to her feet, rolling her shoulders as both her and Coyote joined Gabriel to help him to his feet. Michael was quiet, barely conscious with all of his weight pressed into Gabriel. Howls echoed around them, rage induced hellhounds the first warning signal that things were about to get messy.

Loki and Coyote didn’t hesitate before snapping their fingers.

 **.-~*~-.  
**LOKI  
***~-.-~***

“This is _not_ okay. Get him _out of here_.” Sam looked exhausted, Loki knew he didn’t want this. Didn’t need it. Not with the start of school. Loki pressed her back against the door as Sam tried to move towards it again, shaking her head. “Loki, this-“

“I know it was stupid and reckless. But Gabriel has been torturing himself about it since he started going down there. Michael is _harmless_.”

“For now.” Sam countered, holding her gaze. Undeterred. Brimming on angry. “You know how _I_ was after I got out of The Cage. This isn’t up for debate, Loki. You never should have-”

“If something happens to me and Coyote again, Gabriel would have done this. But there wouldn’t have been any of the precautions. Michael doesn’t remember the worst of his torture. He _won’t_ because we were thorough. Michael didn’t have a soul for Lucifer to scar. Sam, _please_. Trust us.”

Sam stared at her, expression slowly softening. Reluctant. Pained. Maybe just a bit fearful. “You know what he did to us, Loki. Dean won’t let him stay.”

“Gabe will get through to Dean but we need you to say it’s okay.”

Sam looked between her and the closed door, displeasure clouding his expression. “What shape is he in?”

“He’s subdued…” Loki pursed her lips, looked at the ground. “Drunk.” She admitted, feeling Sam’s stare. “He still remembers parts of The Cage. The isolation… what he did to you. For what it’s worth, he is regretful.”

“He’s not forgiven.” Loki flinched. “It would’ve been easier if he did _nothing_.”

“Lucifer will never get out, Sam. Cagn won’t let it happen.”

“They let Michael out.”

“Michael isn’t a threat as long as he can’t kill Lucifer. I _promise_. Tell me that you forgive us. Please. We _had_ to do this.” Loki grabbed Sam’s hand, relaxing when Sam’s fingers threaded with hers.

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

“We didn’t know how. Then Sun Wukong told us he had an in but it had to be _then_.”

“I want to see him.” Loki nodded, turning and pulling Sam through the door to where Michael was curled up on the bed, Gabriel humming quietly. Coyote seated across the room and watching them. Cautious. Prepared to fight if Michael turned suddenly.

“Samuel.” Michael muttered from the bed, voice low and cautious. Maybe a bit hostile.

“Coyote.” She looked at Sam, shrugging her shoulders. “Are you sure?”

“Psychopaths under control are better than psychopaths out of control. I would rather him be here where we can monitor him than out there wreaking havoc.” Her nice way of saying, she didn’t trust Michael at all but Gabriel could potentially be a dumbass so it was the better alternative. “Also, I have this,” Coyote added, pulling Michael’s Archangel blade from thin air. “Me. Not Thing One or Thing Two.”

“When did you watch Cat In The Hat?” Loki asked, grinning at Coyote who rolled her eyes.

“You’ve seen the movie. But I did read it.”

Loki quickly picked up on the why but decided _not_ to mention it in the presence of Michael. Who knew how he would respond to the information that Sam and them were planning on being parents?

“Michael.” Sam said, the ex-Archangel rolling over and blinking blearily at the Hunter.

“Can I help you?”

“You’re human now.” The words were said carefully, but bluntly. Not quite a threat but almost a warning.

“I’m aware.”

“If that changes, me and Dean’ll hunt you down and shove you back in that box.”

“The _box_.” Michael repeated, eyes drifting shut. “The Cage. His Cage. Our prison. Your prison. _My_ prison. Prison for me you and him. Me and him. Just him.”

“Michael,” Gabriel said quietly. Drawing Michael out of the almost daze that started to take him over.

“Never again.” Michael said, eyes flicking open. “Never again.” He held Sam’s gaze, the once-eyes of Adam Milligan boring into Sam’s. “We will never go back.”

“What happened to Adam?”

“Castiel burned him. At Stull.” Michael rolled back over, curling in on himself. “Adam was never in that place.”

“Someone else gets to explain to Dean why he’s in here.” Sam told them before turning and leaving the room.

Loki trailed after him, shutting the door behind her and catching Sam by his wrist. “Are you okay?”

“I’m just exhausted, Lo. It was a long day.”

“You want to talk about it?” She asked, meeting the tired gaze of her Hunter.

“Do you actually want to listen?”

“I’m wounded.” Loki smiled at him, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the bedroom. “You can talk. Then I can help you relax in whatever way you decide.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” Sam decided, letting Loki pull him through the house. “Whatever way I decide. Verbal binding agreements, Lo. Wouldn’t want to be a liar.”

“Me? Lie? I’m hurt you’d think so low about me.” She flung open the door, eyeballing Kali who was sprawled out on the recently enlarged bed with a book in her hands. “Should I dare ask?”

“I’m here to listen to the endearing tale of his day.”

Loki considered her for a long moment before deciding she didn’t give a damn. “This okay, Lo?” Sam asked and she tilted her head back, looking up at her Hunter with a wide smile.

“Always okay, babe. I’m down for three.” Loki crossed the space to crawl onto the bed. “Kali?”

“I am not attracted to women, Loki. I feel like we’ve discussed this before.” Loki hummed softly, listening to Sam shuffle around behind her as she began to crawl up the length of her once-wife’s body, making an active effort not to _dare_ let them touch because she wasn’t sure how much of a chance there was that Kali might _actually_ kill her just to make a point.

“You sure you aren’t interested? I’m sure our mutual party would enjoy the show.” Loki leaned in so they were eye to eye, Kali reaching up to press one sharp nail against her lip.

“I would break you.” Kali grinned, all teeth. “And the answer is no.” Loki hummed, rolling off of Kali to make space between them, patting the empty spot.

“That’s for the best. It wouldn’t work with us again.” Sam climbed in between them and Loki sighed in contentment, burying her face in his shoulder. “So, storytime. What kinda hell was school?”

“Where do I begin?” Sam asked, sighing heavily and beginning a retelling of something painstakingly domestic.

 _No longer hunting_. _He is_ out _and that’s how he’ll stay._


	24. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five years later...

**.-~*~-.  
** COYOTE  
 ***~-.-~***

_Around five years later…_

Family dinners were odd, Coyote decided when she helped Dean pick out vegetables at the store. Yes, they could just snap them into existence but domesticity required sacrifices. And not the deadly ones. For once.

“How do you tell the difference?” Coyote flicked her gaze between the two corn cobs Dean was holding. Of course, she actually knew the answer but toying with Dean was always a fun pastime.

“I don’t know.” Dean admitted after some more intense staring between the vegetables like they might reveal their secrets to him. “Which one’s riper?”

“You figure it out,” She grinned at her brother-in-law. “This was your idea. Doing it the _normal_ way.”

“Yeah but I didn’t think this would be so damned difficult. Where’s Jo when I need her?”

“I don’t think your fiancé knows her way around a vegetable aisle anymore than you do.” Coyote hummed, taking pity and deciding to pick up the freshest out of all of the cobs and tossing them in their basket. “Make sure you only get the regular potatoes.” She reminded Dean as he moved onto the next stall. “Sweet potatoes-”

“I know what not to feed Loki. I _do_ know how allergies work. Even ones that really shouldn’t exist.” Dean scowled at her, Coyote humming while she moved through the aisle, looking at the different vegetables while Dean got irritated at the onions.

 _‘I demand bananas.’_ Rolling her eyes at the ridiculous prayer, Coyote moved to the fruits anyway to grab four bundles of the things. ‘ _I know what you’re thinking. I can get them fresh from the tree that shouldn’t exist in our backyard. But they’re so much better when they’re coated in chemicals. Pretty please with rice cakes and artichokes on top.’_ Her cravings were going to kill Coyote. Or make her kill the other woman. _‘Oh, I want rice cakes too. If you love yourself, you’ll do it.’_

“Don’t we have a-”

“Don’t ask stupid questions.” Coyote interrupted with a stern look, setting the bananas behind the bag of potatoes.

“Loki?” Coyote gave him a look and Dean sighed deeply, shaking his head. “At least Jo made this part easy on me.”

“I’m not even in a relationship with her. This should be Sam’s job.”

“Yeah, well Sam’s at work and this was your idea. Not to mention, you’re the same person.” Dean reminded her like she didn’t already know. And it was a good idea, if not slightly frustrating.

“Before you start thinking this would be easier if you were human, remember that we have cellphones. Prayer is probably easier and quicker than having to pick up your phone every twenty seconds.”

 _Except I can’t just silence prayers when I want to ignore my other half._ She mused internally while she gathered the best salad ingredients, growing irritable with Dean’s slow approach.

“Look,” She grabbed the onion in his hand. “See this? Green is bad.” She grabbed the one she recognized easily as the best and held it out in her left hand. “Smooth coloring, hard, smell it- yes, I’m serious. Ripe adds to the scent.” It was obvious Dean was trying to take in the information so she relented, relaxing when she explained more specifics with other vegetables on the aisle.

When they moved onto the frozen foods, Dean spent a solid twenty minutes deciding on which meats for them to use. Loki had a plan for what she wanted to cook which required roast and lots of hamburger meat but Dean also wanted to cook… something else. Which gave her time to wander through the large store, pausing to watch a woman chase her daughter down an aisle, the young girl giggling loudly and reminding her of Ella being chased around the house by Dean.

Dean was an amazing father. Unsurprisingly.

The little girl squealed, rounding the corner and slamming straight into Coyote. Laughing, she caught the girl’s shoulders before she could stumble over, shaking her head and meeting the grateful look of the mother when she came up, catching her daughter before she could wiggle free.

“Thank you.”

Coyote inclined her head, “Of course.”

“Do you have any?” She asked, propping her daughter up on her shoulders.

“Not yet.” She said honestly, waving at the giggling girl who tucked her face in her mom’s hair. “My brother-in-law has one, though. She turned five on Thursday. Her name’s Ella.”

 _‘Coyote, where’d you go? Need your help with the icecream._ ’

Internally rolling her eyes, she grabbed her phone and threw a quick text to Dean, _Get them all_.

“Ella. That’s a nice name.” The woman was saying, distracting Coyote when they jumped into a small conversation about the woman’s daughter. Lucy.

Eventually Dean found her, looking more than a little surprised that she was having a conversation with _anyone_. Which was a fair analysis. She generally avoided humans. Humans were complicated and she had plenty of them in her life as it was.

“Is this the husband?” The woman, Maria, asked with a friendly smile cast in Dean’s direction.

“God no.” Dean cut in, laughing and shaking his head.

“Brother-in-law.” Coyote corrected quickly, realizing she’d never actually clarified who she had come to the store with.

“Ah, so he’s the one with your niece.”

“Talkin’ about Ella?” Dean chuckled, shaking his head. “She mention her bun in the oven?”

Coyote shot Dean a dirty look, the man grinning widely in response. “You’re pregnant?”

“Not me-” She corrected reflexively, immediately regretting it. “I mean…”

_‘Sorry.’_

“It’s my sister.” Dean lied for her, “Sorry. Coya here is usually pretty open about it.”

“No, it’s fine.” She went along for it, recognizing where he was going and following along for the sake of breaking the awkwardness that had decided to settle over them. “I can’t conceive so we arranged something with my sister-in-law,” _Sister-in-law. In some weird and convoluted way that’s probably not a lie._ “So… she’s pregnant with my husband’s child.”

_‘Couldn’t make that sound anymore awkward, could you?’_

“Hey, I’m not judging you.” The daughter was trying to climb out of the basket she had been returned to while they talked, clearly bored of the adults’ conversations. “Hey- Lucy, don’t you do it.” She warned her daughter, “I’ll strap you in the seat.”

The girl made a protesting sound when her mom caught her around the waist, setting her back in the middle of the basket.

 _‘I’m calling you._ ’ She grabbed her phone from her pocket as it started ringing, grateful for the distraction when she pressed the device to her ear. “Where the hell are you? I’ve been waiting for hours!”

“It hasn’t been hours.” Coyote rolled her eyes, meeting their new companion’s gaze.

“Maybe your child could meet Ella sometime.” She suggested, “Dean, I need to deal with your helpless wreck of a sister.”

“ _Oh,_ I’m _helpless? That’s gold! Who is that? I swear if I had my powers-”_

“Oh- uh, yeah. Sure. Would you mind?”

“Oh, not at all! Lucy here… she doesn’t really get along with other kids well since she can’t talk.” Maria explained as Dean scrambled for his phone. “But we can try it out. Go to the park or something.”

“ _Seriously? A playdate? Are you flirting with strangers while I’m at home starving?”_

“You aren’t starving.” Coyote huffed, moving away from human ears. “And you know damn well that you could ask Coyotl to snap up whatever you want.”

“ _But it’s not the same as something bought and paid for by Dean’s hard-earned money_.”

“You’re an ass and Sam’s paying him back for half of this.” Coyote paused when she spotted a small blue bear with a yellow head all alone on a random shelf. It was a strange color choice. Most of the toys she had seen Dean buy Ella had been brightly colored or realistic but never this drastically different.

It made her think of Gabriel.

_“Coya, are you listening to me?”_

“You know the answer.” Sam needed to get home and calm the irritable woman. “Tell Coyo to cook for you.”

“ _No because your boyfriend won’t cook sugar free_.” Loki complained from the other line, “ _I’m sorry I’m a moody bitch. Can you please bring me my food now_?”

Coyote softened, feeling guilty for snapping. It wasn’t fair to be irritable with Loki. It had been four years since she first removed her soul. Four _very_ long years as a human. “We’ll be home soon.” She promised, hanging up before Loki could get another word in.

“Makin’ human friends? I’m genuinely surprised.” Dean mused when he joined her.

“The daughter isn’t human.” Coyote said as way of explanation. Like it was at all rationalize why she was speaking to the human mother.

“What is she?” Dean frowned, looking over his shoulder.

“A siren. There’s a binding spell on her. That girl will never speak, but she will also never hurt anyone.”

“Does the mom know?” Dean asked as Coyote tugged on the shopping cart. Pulling him after her towards the camping aisle.

“If she does, she didn’t indicate it in any way, shape, or form.” Dean nodded next to her, the both of them grabbing some of the grill supplies.

“I think I may officially hate Loki again.”

Dean laughed, shaking his head. “Praying?”

“Almost non-stop since we got here. Why can’t she crave _normal_ things? Eating this is like… chalk. It tastes like nothing to us. How can she crave _nothing_?” Frustrated, she glared at the box of rice cakes resisting the urge to turn them into something tasty.

Bland, those were Loki's impossible cravings. Bland foods. Tasteless foods. Kali had reminded her it had been the same thing with Sleipnir.

What Kali didn’t remind her was the carrots and anchovies from their first try. The first try was… they tried not to talk about it.

“Does she actually taste it?”

“If you visited more, you’d know the answer to that question.”

“Sam and Loki visit all the time but she never answers the question.” Dean countered and Coyote relented.

“Yes. Strangely. It’s like pregnancy overrides the curse.” She had found that Loki’s taste was an experience like no other. Even if her food choices we abhorrent.

“I don’t think that makes it better.” Dean admitted, staring at the anchovies she had tossed in at some point.

“Agreed.” Together, they made their way for the registers.

 **.-~*~-.  
** SAM  
 ***~-.-~***

“Check it out!” Loki jumped, clapping her hands together and looking behind her when Sam stepped into the room. The cake was overkill in every sense of the word but Loki had spent a solid twenty-four hours _actually_ cooking it. Courtesy of the oversized oven and other utensils Coyotl had made her. “I need you to put this on the top.” Even he was a match for the five-foot-tall monster cake. But Sam knew she would try before ever asking one of their non-human friends or dare he say it her actual other half.

“Fine. Scoot over- careful.” Sam steadied her, placing a hand on the large baby bump that Loki had decided needed to be displayed loud and proud to the world.

Or, Loki’s excuse to walk around in a sports bra.

 _A couple weeks left_. He let his hand linger on her skin, grinning when he felt his future son or daughter kick at his palm.

“Are you carrying lower?”

“How did you notice that?”

“Because you show off your stomach all the time, babe. It would be hard _not_ to notice the difference.” He kissed her cheek. “We should call your doctor in the morning.”

“I’d know if I was about to go into labor.” Loki rolled her eyes, “Don’t worry, Sammy. If I feel the pregnancy pains, you’ll be the first to know. Really can’t wait for this little heathen to break out. Momma needs a nice long nap when this is all over.”

“Babe, my brother hasn’t slept in five years. If you think having her is going to help with that, you are horribly mistaken.”

“Human children. So gross.” Loki was smiling fondly though, resting her hand over his. “If we have another, you’re being the mother.”

“One is enough.” He muttered, kissing her neck before moving away to grab the pony topper for the cake.

“You sure?” She asked, watching him climb the small ladder.

“I’m positive, Lo.” He placed the topper.

“I feel obligated to point out, if Kali or any of our other significant others don’t help with this baby, we’re gonna need to break up with them. This is not just an _us_ thing.”

Chuckling softly, he shook his head and backed down the ladder. “Kali promised she’d help and you know Gabe and Coya are with us.”

“They better be.” Loki mused when Sam moved back to her side to appreciate her hours of work. Dean would probably kill them but Ella would love it. The entire thing was decorated to look like a farm, if farms only had horses, and it was tall enough-

_Damn._

“I take it from the frustrated look you finally figured out my motivations.”

“If Jo kills me for you making their daughter a cake to climb all over, I will never forgive you.”

“Jo would never kill you for what I did. She’d kill me. But I’m pregnant so I’m perfectly safe by rules of parenthood.”

“You won’t be pregnant forever.” Sam reminded her, “And Jo _really_ doesn’t like you.”

“We’re in-laws. She doesn’t have to like me. She just has to accept us for what we are.” Except they weren’t actually in-laws. Not that it mattered in the long-run. Loki was right. Jo wouldn’t actually kill her. Not with everything at risk if any of them died. Not after last time. Loki hummed softly, leaning into his side. “It looks good, right? Ella will like it?”

Sam chuckled softly, leaning down and kissing her, “She’ll love it. And Dean and Jo will hate it. I’m guessing no one’s going to be nice and clean up the mess?”

“Nope! Made all the Tricksters make a vow to keep things nice and messy for our amusement.”

“Dean is going to kill me.” Sam groaned, threading their fingers together. “Gabe’s starting up Avatar while we wait for the cavalry to return. You want to come watch?”

“Avatar is not an in it for the short ride movie, babe.”

“Michael’s never seen it.”

“Oh, _Michael_ ’s watching! I take this back. Now this is one I’ve gotta witness!”

“It’s not _that_ exciting.”

“Sam, have you ever sat down to watch a movie with that angel? I thought Cas was bad but Michael… Michael is _hilarious_.”

“Coming from the woman that can’t sit through a Marvel movie without criticizing their Loki portrayal.”

“That’s because they _botched_ it. I mean did you see Ragnarok? I am not Odin’s son and Hela is most definitely _not_ my sister!”

“We know, Loki.” Sam couldn’t begin to count the number of times she had gone on that rant. “I think the entire _neighborhood_ knows.”

“And Tom Hiddleston isn’t even that hot.” Sam pat her on the back before pulling her from the exceptionally cold room that definitely hadn’t existed the morning before.

“Why couldn’t Liam play him?” Loki was absolutely pouting when they walked into the living room, Michael lounged out on the recliner with a bottle of vodka tucked against his side like a lifeline. Gabriel was seated on the couch, toying with the remote, gaze flicking up when he spotted Sam and Loki.

“Are you really complaining about those movies again?”

“Of course I am.” Loki hummed, releasing Sam and circling around the loveseat to climb into Gabriel’s lap.

“You’re fat.” Gabriel accused, huffing and wrapping his arms around Loki’s waist. Affectionate and caring. Easier than Coyote and Gabriel’s interactions had been since they became Three again.

“Pregnant. It’s not my fault that I’m carrying the future of the Sam Winchester bloodline.” Loki hummed, shifting slightly against Gabriel’s chest and prodding herself in the stomach while Sam took the remote and joined their side, draping an arm over Gabriel’s shoulder as he cycled to the blu-ray to start the older movie.

“It really is. You volunteered to have our child.” Gabriel countered, chuckling softly.

“You are disgusting.” Michael declared from the recliner without any sort of venom. Mostly amusement that he was enhanced by the alcohol consumption.

The way the ex-Archangel drank made Sam and Dean at their worst seem like casual drinkers. Both Raphael and Gabriel had given up on trying to keep the alcohol damage healed because he was on the worst type of self-destruction path.

They also tried not to think about that too much.

“Says the holier than thou Archangel that was flirting with a _human_ last week.” Sam blinked at Loki’s words, gaze shooting to the recliner where Michael had actually gone red in the face.

“I did no such thing.”

“I see what Gabriel sees. Sometimes. Not a lot.” Loki hummed, “I think it’s good for you. She was cute. You should consider calling her back sometime.”

“I don’t want to talk about this.”

 _Maybe we should, though._ Sam thought to himself. Not so much for Michael’s sake. He didn’t give three damns about the Archangel. But for Gabriel. Because seeing Gabriel’s heart break over his brother’s refusal to try to integrate as a human was one of the hardest things about their lives.

“Who was she?” He asked, Michael glaring violently at Loki from his seat.

“The movie. We were meant to be watching a movie.”

“There’s plenty of time for movies, Michael but your liver is screaming for you to _actually_ show interest in something remotely human. Do we know her?”

“No.” Michael muttered petulantly, rolling over in his chair.

“Her name is Maria.” Gabriel filled in. “She is the human mother of a voiceless siren the same age as Ella.”

“A mother?” Michael asked, turning his head to stare at Gabriel. “She never said that.”

“No, but Dean and Coyote met her at the store. I heard Loki on the phone with her so I looked in.”

“She told you not to do that.”

“And when have we ever listened to ourself, Loki?” Gabriel countered without missing a beat. “She is probably too good for you, brother. But she will likely be around here. It might be good for you to consider a human.”

“I don’t… I cannot.”

“Why not? We made sure you’re not fertile. There’s no risk. Just get it up. Have some fun, my not-brother. Get laid. Get out of the house for a while. Be _alive_.”

Michael looked thoughtful but didn’t answer and none of them pushed the topic further, pressing into each other and settling in for the movie until Coyote and Dean stumbled into the house an hour later, Loki starting in immediately on Coyote about rice cakes and raisins.

“How long have you been home?” Coyote asked him when he joined her in the kitchen, helping to sort through the groceries.

“I left early. Decided I should be here with Loki since Gabe was in Heaven and you were going to be out.” Loki had been good enough to call and let him know she was alone with Michael. Because none of them wanted her left alone without someone to help protect her.

“Gabe, why are you not in Heaven?” Coyote eyeballed him.

“Coyotl told me to come when he made his decision to leave. He knows how we feel about leaving her by herself.”

“I am going to kill her.” Coyote moaned, tugging at her hair before grabbing the bushel of bananas and a box of rice cakes, carrying the food out of the room.

“Loki has been praying to her the whole time we were gone.” Dean explained, none of them at all surprised at the revelation.

“I think she’s getting worse.” Sam admitted, putting away the cookies as Dean joined them with a few more bags. “Loki dragged her into a two-hour long makeout session the other night.”

“And she let her?” Dean asked, dumbfounded.

“They were supposed to go back to One after… four years ago.” Sam reminded him, trying hard not to think about the reasons behind that. “It’s getting hard for them to stay apart. Even when Loki’s driving her absolutely insane.”

“I hope that damned horse suffers in Purgatory.”

Sam didn’t bother adding his agreement, rifling through the foods he knew was Loki’s and pulling out Ella's snacks. “I should’ve made them become One.”

“We made this choice.” Coyote reminded him when she reentered the kitchen, kissing his cheek before snapping her fingers to double the size of the kitchen as well as the fridge.

“There.”

“This is why we don’t have humans over.” Sam wrapped an arm around her waist. “You can’t just make the kitchen bigger and expect it to make sense to guests. Houses have floorplans. Structural limitations.”

“Regular humans visit Dean’s place.” She countered, grabbing the tub of double fudge chocolate ice cream and a spoon to shove in it.

And it wasn’t really like he could bring people back from where he worked considering he lived a thousand miles away from the city he was “living” in.

He was still right. “We need an emergency switch for if we need this place to look like it does outside structurewise.”

“Done.” Coyote responded around a mouthful of icecream, not bothering to even gesture. “Snap your fingers by the front door and it will go back to normal. Snap again and it will be like this. Any living people get thrown into the living room. Does that work?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now, do you want some?” Sam let her feed him a spoonful of the way too chocolatey icecream before Dean ushered them out complaining about PDA. Like he was one to talk. “Should we tell her that Dean has started cooking without her?” Coyote asked, stabbing her spoon into the ice cream again.

“Let’s watch the rest of the movie.” Sam suggested instead, catching both Gabriel and Coyote by their wrists to drag them back into the living room.

“I was supposed-”

“I’m sorry Gabe but screw Raphael. Screw Heaven. If Cas has an issue, he can come down here and take it up with me. Today’s a family day.”

For a second, Sam thought Gabriel might protest but he didn’t. Instead he surrendered and let Sam pull him to the living room where the three of them joined Loki on the couch.

“Thank you, Coya.” Loki muttered, biting into another rice cake and curling into her side.

 **.-~*~-.  
** LOKI  
 ***~-.-~***

Loki held the plate of burgers while she stepped into the backyard, walking towards the grill while humming softly to herself.

 _You better stop that, kid. Way too early for your shenanigans._ She thought at her womb, trying really hard to ignore the fact that her unborn child hadn’t held still for more than five minutes.

Sam was asleep on the couch with Coyote and Michael had passed out after the movie ended which had left her and Gabriel as the only conscious ones in the house.

“I’m here for you, Loki.” Gabriel said quietly and she sighed softly, lighting the grill.

“You don’t help anymore. Coyote was right.”

“I didn’t mean that.” Gabriel joined her side, “We aren’t just Sam’s partner. This relationship works more than one way. And you don’t have to hate me. You don’t have to love me. But you need to stop pushing me away just because Coyote hates me.”

“Here,” Loki looked up at Gabriel, smiling before offering him the spatula. “We don’t hate you. We _don’t_. But it’s more complicated than that and Coyote gets…”

“Possessive?” Gabriel asked and she laughed softly, shaking her head. Carefully she dropped the patties onto the top, relishing a bit in their sizzle as each hit the metal.

“I think her possessiveness takes place of my need to touch. She doesn’t hate you. She just doesn’t want me thinking I need you more than her.”

“For someone that walks around declaring her godliness, she has an easily wounded pride.”

“It spreads.” Loki mused, leaning into his side. “I’m sorry we make you feel like we hate you. We don’t.”

“You don’t.”

“Don’t do that. Don’t make those distinctions with me, Gabe. I know exactly what I mean. _We_ don’t hate you. And I love you.” Loki tugged him down, drawing Gabriel into a deep kiss. “You’re the only damned angel on this planet I like. That I’ll ever consider loving. So, don’t let it get through your head that you are _any_ less a part of this.” She caught his wrist and pulled his free hand to touch her stomach, the unborn infant kicking the moment he touched her skin. “This is _our_ kid. All of ours. No matter what changes, _that_ won’t. Because we’re a family.”

“I- Loki. You really know how to make a declaration.” Gabriel choked out a harsh laugh, shaking his head. “I guess I love you too.” Gabriel’s gaze slid down to where his hand was rested against Loki’s stomach, “And we’ll guard him with our lives-”

Loki’s eyes widened and she hit him in the chest. Not hard, but enough that Gabriel was able to flinch back with a frown. “You weren’t supposed to tell me the sex, damn it.”

“I didn’t- oh.”

“Yeah, _oh_.” Loki pouted, looking back over at the now burning burgers as they all flipped over at once with the sound of snapping fingers coming from somewhere near the door.

“You should watch the food closer.” Coyote said as she joined them. “Sam’s awake. In the shower.” She added.

“Sorry, was just making a point to remind Gabe here that we _don’t_ hate him.” She pursed her lips together, averting her gaze. “Coyote, you told me you resolved this with him.”

“I don’t need-”

“Yes, you _do_ need a God damned apology. Coyote, we’ve gotten over this. I _know_ you’ve forgiven him.”

“I _have_.”

“Then tell him, damn it! He _doesn’t_ deserve you being a self-righteous bitch over something that happened _years_ ago.”

Coyote’s expression softened and she clenched her fist before unclenching it, looking over at Gabriel. “She’s right, Gabe. I’ve been… awful. We _were_ all at fault for everything that went down. It wasn’t just you. It was _all_ of us. I’m sorry. I do care about you. A lot.”

Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest, “You haven’t been awful. Maybe difficult but not unbearable. I don’t need things between the three of us to be like they were. It has become abundantly clear to me that you were right. It will never be the way it was. I just need to know that when you both become One again that you won’t hate me. None of us will be able to handle that.”

“I don’t hate you. Sometimes I wish I could. So, are we okay?”

“Yes.”

Coyote nodded, pulling Gabriel into a small and uncomfortable hug before releasing him. “Now, watch your food.” She told them, stepping back. “I’m going to swim.”

“Oh, I see how it is. Leave the pregnant woman to do all the cooking.”

“You volunteered.” She reminded Loki and she grinned a bit, turning her attention back to the burgers.

“I did. Go swim, Gabe. I have this.”

She felt movement again and grimaced, reaching down to hold her stomach. “He agrees. It’s fine. We’ve got this.”

 **.-~*~-.  
** GABRIEL  
 ***~-.-~***

Gabriel lingered by the front of the room as their extended family sorted themselves into the oversized dining table. The table was littered with an assortment of food made by both Loki and Dean, Ella was in her chair with Jo trying to clean the remaining mess of cake that her daughter had quite literally dove into from her hair.

Once blonde hair had turned a nice bright green under the assault of a large abundance of icing and her face was stained an assortment of color from the rainbow filling that Loki had decided to use on the inside.

Everyone had been amused. Except Jo and Dean. Especially when the Tricksters had refused to snap her clean. But even under the righteous parental frustration, neither parent had been able to stay angry with their daughter giggling gleefully from inside the corpse of her cake.

“Can you find Kali?” Sam muttered in his ear as he came through the door. “I’m going to kill her if she bails on dinner.”

“She’s with Loki.” Gabriel said quietly, sensing their exact location, “I’ll get them.”

“Thank you.” Sam told him gratefully before joining Jo to help her clean up his niece. Gabriel slipped into the kitchen and out the door past Crow and Castiel who were in a discussion next to the fridge. He moved down the hall to where he could sense Kali in Sam’s room, knocking twice before stepping through the door.

“Hey-” Gabriel’s eyes widened when he saw Loki curled up on the bed, arms wrapped around her torso and breathing sharp and pained breaths. Kali was kneeling next to her on the floor, hand on her shoulder. “Loki?”

“Don’t let him worry about this. Please.” Loki gasped out, Kali muttering bitterly under her breath.

“Are you- are you in _labor_? How long?”

“Three hours? I’m- I’m fine. It’s Ella’s birthday party.”

“This is one of the stupidest things you’ve done in a long time. I’m getting Sam.”

“Stay with her. I will get him.” Kali told him and he surrendered easily, moving to take her place next to Loki.

“Does Coyote know?”

Loki grimaced at him, “Yes. She told me if anything went wrong that she’d snap me to the nearest hospital. I’m fine but- can you help me out of these sweats?” Gabriel decided he didn’t want to remember the specifics of why that question was important while he helped her get out of the sweat pants, Loki breathing deeply as she kicked them to the floor.

“Damn it, Lo.” Sam joined them, dragging her into a careful hug while he checked her over, Coyote joining them a moment later.

“You told me you were fine.” Coyote complained from the door, Loki laughing sharply.

“I _am_. This isn’t like the horse. It’s got two legs I’m-” She moaned in pain, curling in on herself. “Okay maybe it hurts. But I can handle this. Go finish dinner and-”

“She’s five. It won’t end her world if we leave early. I’m much more concerned for you right now and so is Dean. Help me get her up.”

Because they all knew teleporting and flying could pose unnecessary risks and they didn’t want to take any risks with her pregnancy.

“I don’t need a hospital, damn it. Kali can deliver a baby!”

“I would rather not have to go through that again, Loki. I am sure you will greatly appreciate modern medicine over my improvised attempt at assisting you through this.”

Gabriel cast Kali a grateful look while he carefully moved forward to tug Loki into his arms, Loki whining pitifully as she curled in on herself.

“I’m fine.”

“Let Dean know we’re taking the Toyota.” Sam told Coyote as the four of them filed out of the room with a complaining Loki curled against Gabriel’s chest.

“I’ll meet you at the hospital.” She promised, the rest of them rushing to the SUV.

Two hours later, the hospital staff were reluctantly letting a fifth person into Loki’s room. Already they had tried to kick the ‘extras’ out of the room, stubbornly arguing against the idea of Loki’s -aliased as Lola’s- polyamorous relationship.

Especially since they had to lie and say that Coyote and Loki were twins. Well… it actually wasn’t the furthest thing from the truth.

Sort of.

“Let me see him,” Dean declared when he came through the door, the annoyed doctor leaving them be.

“Here.” Sam glanced at Loki who was completely unconscious on the hospital bed with Kali sitting at her feet before he held up the small bundle in his arms. Gabriel watched Dean closely as he approached his younger brother, carefully taking the newborn into his arms.

“You guys really ticked off the doctors,” Coyote snickered at Dean’s deliberate censoring, curled up against Sam’s side.

“They ‘ticked’ _us_ off,” Sam was grinning a bit as Dean poked aside the small blanket.

“Aw, aren’t you adorable? Look just like your daddy. Probably for the best.”

“Ass.” Coyote coughed, snickering when Dean smirked at her.

“What’s his name?”

“Babyboy Winchester.” Sam admitted. “We haven’t figured out a name.”

“Really?”

“We’ve been arguing over it for the last couple months.” Coyote confessed, closing her eyes.

“We want to name him Anansi. Coyote doesn’t agree.” Sam explained and Coyote shook her head.

“Naming him after a Trickster is ridiculous, Sam.”

“Anansi was your best friend.” Loki spoke up tiredly from the bed, holding out her arms. “Let me see him.”

Dean carefully carried him the short distance, settling the infant into his mother’s arms. Gabriel followed his brother, seating himself on the opposite end of the bed from Kali and squeezing Loki’s ankle. “Me and Jo argued about Ella’s name for the whole year and it was just the two of us. I pity all of you.”

“How did Ella enjoy the rest of her party?” Loki asked, tugging back the top of her gown, making Dean quickly averted his gaze.

“She loved the presents. As much as I want to throttle all of you. Thank you. Seriously. You did a hell of a lot more than I’d expected.”

“Five years old is an important right of passage.” Coyote said very seriously.

“Also, I haven’t had much to do the last nine months besides get fat and plan birthday parties.” Loki added, “And now we can work together to plan Anansi’s, isn’t that right, babyboy?” Loki kissed their son’s forehead, humming happily.

“If you really don’t want us to,” Sam added, tucking an arm around Coyote’s shoulder, “We can go with the other name.”

Coyote pressed her lips together, closing her eyes. “Are you sure?”

“Would we push it if we weren’t?” Sam asked softly, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. “He’s ours and we all agree.”

 _Most of us_. Gabriel thought, glancing at Kali who was looking at the newborn with caution. Like he might jump out and eat them.

Human babies were weird.

Kali thought he should have a strong name.

Naming him after Anansi was the only thing that they had come close to _all_ agreeing on. And honestly, Gabriel knew the moment that Loki and Sam agreed that it would be hard to turn them away. Especially when Coyote’s refusal only had to do with stubbornness.

“Okay.” She breathed, glancing at Gabriel who smiled back reassuringly. “Anansi. Anansi Winchester.”

“I’d say it was weird but considering the romantic posse I’m staring at, he’s probably the most normal thing about you.”

“Love you too, Dean-o.” Loki beamed, glancing at Kali. “Thank you for helping me today.”

“I won’t tell you I love you.” She huffed, reaching down to thread her fingers with Loki’s. “But he is cute. And Dean’s right. He definitely looks like his father.”

Sam moved from the bed to give his partners space with their child, dragging his brother into a hug.

Gabriel moved back again, pressing up against the wall to watch his family. There was a contentment for the moment. Ease. Coyote and Loki were close but not quite touching, very essences clawing desperately at the skin of their bodies to become One again. Desperate, yet housed with years of patience. Understanding. Knowledge that they only had to wait until Loki stopped breastfeeding.

Sam and Dean were comfortable, relaxed. Domestic. By some impossible miracle, living mostly normal lives.

And Kali rose to her feet, rounding the bed to join Gabriel’s side with an amused smile on her lips.

“I never would have guessed we would be here, now.”

“I was sure you’d kill me.” Gabriel admitted, leaning against her side.

“Do you regret any of it?”

“No.” He admitted quietly, “I think this was how it needed to go. The pair are better than us being One.”

“The _Archangel_ and the Trickster. You never did deceive me.”

“Yes, I did.” He smiled at Loki when she met his gaze, Gabriel leaning back to relax with the knowledge that things would be okay. Two would become One. His family would be safe.

It was good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we go. The end. Trying to come up with a final note for this one is a weird one and I don’t really know how to put words with it. I love these guys and this series a lot. I do have a couple one-shots. I'll be posting them... at some point. But yeah. This is the end of TOPP. The least death-filled thing I have _ever_ written.


End file.
